LONDON: Lawyers from the UK claimed they had petitioned the British government to lift a ban on the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a move that opposition MPs have strongly criticized. The militants’ legal brief contends that the ban violates Britain’s human rights obligations, citing “the legitimacy of the struggle of the Palestinian people for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation.”
The United Kingdom labeled Hamas’ armed wing a “terrorist group” in 2001. Hamas is regarded as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. The political arm of Hamas was also placed under proscription in 2021, since the government website describes the group as a “complex but single terrorist organization.” Among other things, it is illegal in the UK to be a member of, support, or encourage a prohibited organization.
The Home Office stated that it would not comment on issues related to proscription. Riverway Law, a London-based business, announced the proposal to the UK interior ministry on Wednesday. It further stated that resisting “foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle, is moral, legitimate and explicitly enshrined in international law.” According to an AFP count based on Israeli official data, 1,218 Israelis were murdered in the October 7, 2023 onslaught against Israel when Hamas militants crossed Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip. The majority of the Israeli casualties were civilians.
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