Editing Hamas (section)

===Terrorist designation===
[[File:International views on Hamas.svg|thumb|{{legend|#FF0000|Designated Hamas as a terrorist organization}}
{{legend|#FFA500|Designated the military wing of Hamas as a terrorist organization}}]]

The United States designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation in 1995, as did Canada in November 2002,<ref name="AFPC-NA">[https://books.google.com/books?id=9fQ3AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA15 ''The World Almanac of Islamism: 2014''], [[American Foreign Policy Council]]/[[Rowman & Littlefield]], 2014, p. 15.</ref> and the United Kingdom in November 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror-groups-or-organisations--2/proscribed-terrorist-groups-or-organisations-accessible-version|title=Proscribed terrorist groups or organisations|website=GOV.UK|access-date=26 November 2021|archive-date=19 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719150016/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror-groups-or-organisations--2/proscribed-terrorist-groups-or-organisations-accessible-version|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2021, the [[Organization of American States]] designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-051/21 |title=Qualification of Hamas as a Terrorist Organization by the OAS General Secretariat |publisher=oas.org |date=19 May 2021 |access-date=4 September 2024}}</ref> The [[European Union]] so designated Hamas's military wing in 2001 and, under US pressure,{{sfn|Gunning|2004|p=234}} designated Hamas in 2003.{{sfn|Levitt|2006|pp=50–51}} Hamas challenged this decision,<ref>[http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2015/150119_01_en.htm Statement by High Representative/Vice-president Federica Mogherini on the decision to appeal the Judgment regarding Hamas], 19 January 2015</ref> which was upheld by the [[European Court of Justice]] in July 2017.<ref name="Reuters Court">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-palestinians-hamas-idUSKBN1AB0VE|title=EU court keeps Hamas on terrorism list, removes Tamil Tigers|date=26 July 2017|publisher=[[Reuters]]|quote=The lower court had found that the listing was based on media and internet reports rather than decisions by a "competent authority". But the ECJ said such decisions were not required for groups to stay on the list, only for their initial listing.}}</ref> Japan<ref>According to Michael Penn, ([https://books.google.com/books?id=ly8zBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA205 ''Japan and the War on Terror: Military Force and Political Pressure in the US-Japanese Alliance''], [[I.B. Tauris]] 2014 pp. 205–06), Japan initially welcomed the democratic character of the elections that brought Hamas to power, and only set conditions on its aid to Palestine, after intense pressure was exerted by the Bush Administration on Japan to alter its policy.</ref> and New Zealand<ref name="NZ-r1373-terrorlist">{{cite web |url=http://www.police.govt.nz/advice/personal-community/counterterrorism/designated-entities/lists-associated-with-resolution-1373 |title=Lists associated with Resolution 1373 |publisher=New Zealand Police |date=20 July 2014 |access-date=16 August 2014}}</ref> have designated the military wing of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.<ref>David Sobek,[https://books.google.com/books?id=BiWsx7ClSpEC&pg=PT45 ''The Causes of War''], John Wiley & Sons, 2013 p. 45.</ref> The organisation is banned in Jordan.{{sfn|Levitt|2006|p=49}} In late February 2024, New Zealand re-designated the entire Hamas organisation as a terror entity.<ref name="Beehive 29 Feb 2024">{{cite web |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/nz-designates-entirety-hamas-terrorist-entity |title=NZ designates entirety of Hamas as terrorist entity |date=29 February 2024 |website=Beehive.govt.nz|publisher=[[New Zealand Government]]|access-date=29 February 2024}}</ref> In September 2024, Switzerland approved a draft law on to ban the group.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 September 2024 |title=Swiss government approves draft law to ban Hamas |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-818713 |access-date=4 September 2024 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}</ref> In April 2025, Paraguay expanded its designation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/04/25/paraguay-designates-IRGC-Hamas-Hezbollah/4371745556945/|title=Paraguay hits Iran's IRGC with terrorist designation; expands designations for Hamas, Hezbollah|date=25 April 2025|website=[[United Press International]]}}</ref>

In April 2025, Hamas filed a legal case in Britain appealing its designation as a terrorist group. The filing argues that Hamas has never engaged in an armed operation outside of historic Palestine and is not a threat to Western nations. Hamas politician [[Mousa Abu Marzook]] submitted a written statement arguing, "Hamas is not a terrorist group. It is a Palestinian Islamic liberation and resistance movement whose goal is to liberate Palestine and confront the Zionist project."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scahill |first1=Jeremy |title=Hamas Launches Unprecedented Legal Case in Britain, Demanding the Government Remove its Terror Designation |url=https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/hamas-terrorism-uk-marzouk |website=Drop Site News |access-date=9 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Siddique |first1=Haroon |title=Hamas calls on UK government to remove it from list of banned terrorist groups |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/09/hamas-calls-on-the-uk-government-to-remove-it-from-list-of-banned-terrorist-groups |website=The Guardian |language=en-gb |date=9 April 2025}}</ref>

Hamas is not regarded as a terrorist organisation by Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran,<ref name="books.google.com">Alethia H. Cook, "The Subtle Impact of Iran on the Flotilla Incident", in Thomas E. Copeland (ed.), [https://books.google.com/books?id=bsuYAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA36 ''Drawing a Line in the Sea: The Gaza Flotilla Incident and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict''], Lexington Books, 2011 pp. 35–44 [36].</ref> Russia,<ref>Robert O. Freedman, 'Russia,' in Joel Peters, David Newman (eds.), [https://books.google.com/books?id=kftqQdNNDWAC&pg=PA331 ''The Routledge Handbook on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict''], Routledge, 2013 pp. 325–33 [331]</ref> Norway,{{efn|"In 2006, Norway explicitly distanced itself from the EU proscription regime, claiming that it was causing problems for its role as a 'neutral facilitator.'"{{sfn|Haspeslagh|2016|p=199}}}} Turkey, China,<ref>David J. Whittaker (ed.), [https://books.google.com/books?id=SOhJQbP77h0C&pg=PA84 ''The Terrorism Reader''], Routledge (2001), 2012, p. 84.</ref> Egypt, Syria, and Brazil.<ref name="Samuel Feldberg pp. 187">Samuel Feldberg,'Israel and Brazil:An Emerging Power and its Quest for Influence in the Middle East,' in Colin Shindler (ed.), [https://books.google.com/books?id=d7f2AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA199 ''The World Powers:Diplomatic Alliances and International Relations Beyond the Middle East''], I.B. Tauris, 2014 pp. 187–99</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/11/21/9-questions-about-israel-gaza-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/|title=9 questions about Israel-Gaza you were too embarrassed to ask|first=Max|last=Fisher|date=21 November 2012|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref>{{sfn|Amossy|2017|p=273, n4}} "Many other states, including Russia, China, Syria, Turkey and Iran consider the (armed) struggle waged by Hamas to be legitimate."{{sfn|Brenner|2017|p=203, n.27}}

Tobias Buck, a journalist with the British [[Financial Times]] newspaper wrote in 2012 that Hamas is "listed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and the EU, but few dare to treat it that way" and in the Arab and Muslim world it had lost its pariah status with its emissaries welcomed in capitals of Islamic countries.<ref>{{cite news |last=Buck |first=Tobias |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/80ce6306-348e-11e2-8986-00144feabdc0.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/wvyCq |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Five lessons from the Gaza conflict |work=Financial Times |date=22 November 2012 |access-date=6 January 2013}}</ref> In the early 2010s, Hamas was considered a terrorist group by some governments and academics, others regarded Hamas as a complex organisation, with [[terrorism]] as only one component.<ref>[[Krista E. Wiegand]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=H96cqNJ0fTAC&pg=PA124 ''Bombs and Ballots: Governance by Islamist Terrorist and Guerrilla Groups''], [[Ashgate Publishing]], Revised edition 2013 p. 124. "Officially, Hamas is considered by American and Israeli policymakers and some academics as the epitome of a terrorist group. [...] Due to the gravity and consequences of Hamas's use of terrorism as a tactic, all other aspects of Hamas, including its extensive social services programs and its role as a political party are overshadowed and often ignored by policy makers. Others recognize the complexity of Hamas as an organisation and suggest that Hamas will continue to transform itself into a full political party and eventually disarm and cease all violent tactics. They view Hamas as a complex organisation with terrorism as only one component, which is likely to evolve into a non-violent political party."</ref><ref>Luke Peterson, [https://books.google.com/books?id=nrsbBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA99 ''Palestine-Israel in the Print News Media: Contending Discourses''], [[Routledge]] 2014 p. 99.</ref>