Israel welcomes UK announcement to outlaw Hamas

(CNN) – Israel has welcomed the UK’s announcement that it will ban the political wing of the Gaza-based militant group Hamas.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the move at a Tweet, saying: “Hamas has significant terrorist capabilities, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities. That is why I have acted to outlaw Hamas in its entirety.”

Previously, the UK had only outlawed Hamas’ military wing, the Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades. This measure generates a complete ban on the group.

Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted: “Hamas is a radical Islamic group targeting innocent Israelis and seeking the destruction of Israel. I welcome the UK’s intention to declare Hamas a terrorist organization in its entirety, because that’s exactly what it is.”

In line with the European Union and the United States

The announcement brings British policy back into line with that of the European Union, which, like the United States, considers all of Hamas a terrorist entity.

A statement by Hamas described the British move as an act of “aggression against the Palestinian people” and showed the “bias of the United Kingdom towards the Israeli narrative”.

“We believe that resisting the Israeli occupation with all possible means, including armed resistance, is a guaranteed right for the peoples under occupation under international law. The occupation of Palestine is terrorism,” the statement said.

The British government is keen to introduce a rule as early as Friday afternoon that would outlaw Hamas under the Terrorism Act, making expressing support for the group, flying its flag or organizing meetings on its behalf illegal. and punishable by a possible prison sentence.

The origins of Hamas

Hamas was founded in 1987 as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Its founding charter called for the destruction of Israel and rejected the Oslo accords – which created the Palestinian Authority (PA) – signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel in the 1990s.

In 2006, Hamas stood in the Palestinian legislative elections and won. A year later he assumed full control of Gaza after a brief civil war with PA forces.

In May this year, Hamas waged an 11-day war with the Israeli army, during which it fired more than 4,000 rockets toward Israel.