Those affiliated with terror group Hamas could now face lengthy jail times under new plans drawn up by Home Secretary Priti Patel.

The organisation will be proscribed under the Terrorism act meaning that anyone who shows public support for the group will be in breach of the law. This could include activities like flying their flag or organising meetings.

Until this point the UK government has only banned the military wing of Hamas, the Al Qassam brigades. Priti Patel is set to make the announcement later today in Washington DC where she has been visiting senior member of the Biden administration.

She will tell reporters in the US: “We’ve taken the view that we can no longer disaggregate the sort of military and political side.

“It’s based upon a wide range of intelligence, information and also links to terrorism. The severity of that speaks for itself.”

“Hamas is fundamentally and rabidly antisemitic and antisemitism is an enduring evil which I will never tolerate. Jewish people routinely feel unsafe – at school, in the streets, when they worship, in their homes, and online.”

“This step will strengthen the case against anyone who waves a Hamas flag in the United Kingdom, an act that is bound to make Jewish people feel unsafe.”

“The current listing of Hamas creates an artificial distinction between various parts of the organisation – it is right that the listing is updated to reflect this.

“This is an important step, especially for the Jewish community. If we tolerate extremism, it will erode the rock of security.”

Hamas have been the subject of calls to fully proscribe the group since as early as 2015. In summer of that year, Labour MP Michael McCann called for the UK to follow the lead of the the US and EU in designating all parts of Hamas a terror organisation.

The Board of Deputies welcomed the move by the home secretary, saying: 

“We welcome the Home Secretary’s announcement that the UK Government is proscribing Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organisation. The Board of Deputies of British Jews has long led the call for this alongside our communal partners.

“Full proscription ends the dangerous loophole via which this terrorist organisation can spread its extremist poison here and raise funds and support in the UK. Hamas regularly espouses violent ideology and grotesque antisemitism. It is responsible for countless terror attacks including suicide bombings, the murder of Israeli citizens and others, the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, repression of political opponents, women, and LGBT people.

“We are immensely grateful that it will no longer have any safe harbour or support in the UK. We thank the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, and the Government for this decisive action in tackling extremism.”