Australia on Thursday said it planned to add the entirety of the Palestinian group Hamas to its list of outlawed terrorist organizations as concerns rise about radicalized children.
Hamas' military wing, Hamas' Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has been listed by Canberra as a terrorist organization since 2003.
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The Australian flag next to the statue of Queen Elizabeth in the Parliament Building in Canberra
(Photo: EPA)
“The views of Hamas and the violent extremist groups listed today are deeply disturbing and there is no place in Australia for such views", Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said.
“It is vital that our laws target not only terrorist acts and terrorists but also the organizations that plan, finance and carry out these acts."
The designation prohibits direct and indirect membership or support of Hamas, including financially. Alignment with the group will be considered a crime carrying up to 25 years in prison.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett congratulated his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison for the Hamas decision.
"I welcome the news that Australia will list Hamas as a terrorist organization in its entirety," he tweeted.
"Thank you to my friend @ScottMorrisonMP for following through on our dialogue on this important matter. This is another important step in the global fight against terrorism."
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid also thanked Australian Ambassador to Israel Paul Griffiths for what he described as a "significant step" in Israel's international effort to curtail terrorist organizations.
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked wrote on Twitter that "Australia has, once again, chosen to be on the right side of history."
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Palestinian Hamas security forces at a ceremony in Gaza City on December 12, 2021
(Photo: Flash90)
Last November, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel announced a similar ban on the Islamist group which according to her has "significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities."
The organization will be banned under the Terrorism Act and anyone expressing support for Hamas, flying its flag or arranging meetings for the organization would be in breach of the law, the interior ministry confirmed.