The Foreign Secretary has confirmed that Hamas’ designation as a terrorist organisation is ‘simply not for changing’ amid an ongoing legal challenge attempting to have it removed.
David Lammy labelled the group “barbaric” and said it acted with “despicable cruelty” in exclusive comments to the JC.
Earlier this week, London-based firm Riverway Law announced on social media that it had submitted an application to the Home Office to remove Hamas from the list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Act.
The group, which led the October 7, 2023 terror attacks in southern Israel, was partly proscribed in 2001, before being banned in its entirety in 2021.
As a result, it is an offence to be a member of Hamas or to invite support for it in the UK.
Riverway, though, argued that Hamas “poses no threat to the UK people and have been explicit about this”, despite 18 British citizens being among the 1,2000 killed on October 7.
The application also described the group as “an organised resistance movement” and claimed its activities represented the “right of the Palestinian people to resist Zionism and the colonisation, occupation, apartheid and genocide carried out in its name”.
The 106-page document was submitted to the Home Office in person by the firm’s legal team last week – though a Home Office spokesperson later confirmed that it could not be officially considered until it was received by post.
The JC subsequently reported that two of the lawyers involved have a history of contentious social media posts, including calling for “Victory to the Intifada” and for Zionists to be “hunted down”.
However, speaking exclusively to the JC, the Foreign Secretary has indicated that the application is unlikely to receive a warm reception once it does arrive.
He said: “Our position is simply not for changing: Hamas, which committed a barbaric terrorist attack on 7 October, has long been designated a terrorist organisation in the UK.
"It continues to hold dozens of hostages, and all the while endangers civilians by embedding itself among the civilian infrastructure.
“These are acts of despicable cruelty that show Hamas’ barbaric nature."
Once the application is officially received the Home Office has 90 days to issue a response, but the JC understands that its thinking is in lockstep with that of the Foreign Office with regard to Hamas’ status.
