Organization of American States designates Hamas as terrorist group

The Organization of American States on Monday announced that has designated Hamas as a terrorist group.

The Islamist group is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, Canada, the European Union, Egypt, and Japan. Other nations, including Australia, New Zealand, Paraguay and Britain classify only its military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, as a terrorist organization.

Hamas is not considered a terrorist organization by Brazil, China, Iran, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Syria and Turkey, which also harbors many of its top officials.

“The recent attacks launched by Hamas against the Israeli civilian population undoubtedly constitute attacks of a terrorist nature. Their violence and the objectives they pursue clearly have this characteristic,” the OAS said in a statement on its website.

“Hamas’s terrorist aggression is unlimited and always seeks civilian victims, seeks to escalate conflict dynamics and armed actions, as well as sowing terror among innocent populations, be they Israeli or Palestinian.

“The immoral and unworthy use of children and women as human shields, as well as the militarization of residential areas, constitute in themselves acts that deserve the most absolute repudiation and condemnation.

“The initiation of attacks of this nature against a country with a clear terrorist objective of its civilian population makes the invocation of the principle of legitimate defense by Israel essential,” the statement continued. “The Hamas attacks constitute an attack against the peace and security of Israel and the region and make it imperative to categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization for the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States.”

The Organization of American States is an international organization that was founded in 1948 for the purposes of solidarity and cooperation among its member states within the Western Hemisphere.

Headquartered in Washington, the OAS has 35 members across the Americas. Since the 1990s, the organization has focused on election monitoring. The current head of the OAS Uruguayan diplomat Luis Almagro.

Though mainly symbolic, the designation may allow for future actions against Hamas fundraising efforts even in South and Central American states that have not declared it a terrorist organization.

Source: Israel Hayom