PALESTINIAN resistance movement Hamas has filed a legal challenge in the UK against its designation as a ‘proscribed terrorist organisation’, marking a significant move to contest the British government’s classification of the group.
The appeal, submitted on Wednesday, argues that Hamas is a legitimate political and resistance movement advocating for Palestinian self-determination, not a ‘terrorist entity’.
Leading the legal effort is senior Hamas figure Mousa Abu Marzouk, head of the group’s international relations, who has publicly rejected the UK’s designation.
‘Our aim is to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation. We have never declared war on the West,’ Marzouk stated.
He emphasised that Hamas’ struggle is directed against Zionism, which he defined as a colonial project forcibly imposed on Palestine, not against Jewish people.
‘We are not fighting against Jews; we are fighting against the Zionist regime, which is an illegitimate entity in Palestine,’ he affirmed.
Marzouk condemned Britain’s long-standing support for Zionism, particularly its role in the establishment of the Israeli regime in 1948, which he described as the continuation of colonial domination in the region.
Drawing historical parallels, he compared Hamas to anti-colonial liberation movements such as South Africa’s African National Congress and Ireland’s Sinn Féin, framing Hamas as a legitimate resistance force confronting foreign occupation.
Represented by two barristers from Riverway Law in South London, Hamas’ legal team contends that the proscription not only distorts the nature of the movement but also curtails freedom of expression and political discourse.
The lawyers argue that labelling Hamas as a ‘terrorist group’ obstructs the UK’s legal obligations under international law to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity – citing ongoing war crimes committed by the Israeli regime in Gaza.
The legal filing maintains that Hamas is the only force actively resisting the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli regime in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is headquartered.
Britain initially proscribed Hamas’ military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, in 2001.
In 2021, the political wing was also added to the proscription list, with the Home Office asserting that Hamas functions as a ‘unified terrorist entity’.
However, the group’s legal representatives contest this, arguing that Hamas operates as a comprehensive resistance movement with political, social, and military dimensions.
In a sworn statement, Marzouk presented a detailed account of the Israeli regime’s occupation of Palestine, describing it as a Western-backed aggression.
He reaffirmed Hamas’ objective of fully liberating all of historic Palestine, with the occupied city of al-Quds as its capital.
He further asserted that a future Palestinian state must be established along pre-1967 borders – a reference to land seized during Israel’s continued expansion with international backing.
The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has a 90-day period to respond.
If the appeal is rejected, the matter will proceed to a tribunal.
A successful outcome could prompt a re-evaluation of the government’s designation of Hamas.
If Britain reverses the designation, it could mark a shift in the international narrative around Palestinian resistance.
