BICOM

US Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator for Counterterrorism Nathan Sales announced yesterday that the US has added the head of Hamas’s political arm to its global terrorist list.

The US State Department said that Ismail Haniyeh, who replaced Khaled Meshaal as the chairman of Hamas’s political bureau in 2017, “has close links with Hamas’ military wing” and “has been a proponent of armed struggle, including against civilians”. It added that he has “reportedly been involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens. Hamas has been responsible for an estimated 17 American lives killed in terrorist attacks”.

The designation cuts Haniyeh off from the American financial system, freezing any assets he may have in the US and barring him from doing business from US-based entities. There will also be a travel ban on Haniyeh.

Three other groups – the Iranian-backed Harakat al-Sabireen and two Egypt-based groups which are offshoots of the Muslim Brotherhood, Liwa al-Thawra and Harakat Sawa’d Misr – were also put on the list.

In announcing these designations, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson emphasised that “these designations target key terrorist groups and leaders who are threatening the stability of the Middle East, undermining the peace process, and attacking our allies Egypt and Israel. Today’s actions are an important step in denying them the resources they need to plan and carry out their terrorist activities”.

Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said that Haniyeh is an “icon of resistance” and that is “something he and we are all proud of”. He added that the designation shows that the “animosity from the US administration towards the Palestinians is unprecedented – with its unconditional support of Israel and its decision surrounding Jerusalem, and cutting its funding to the UN refugee agency [UNRWA].”

Intelligence Minister Israel Katz praised the “righteous” US decision to designate Hanyieh as a global terrorist. “This man is one of the main reasons the citizens of the Gaza strip are suffering since the terror organisation Hamas took power of the Strip in 2007,” Katz added.

Dan Shapiro, former US Ambassador to Israel, said that Haniyeh deserved to be on the list, citing that “Hamas has never denied its commitment to violence”.