The European Union has announced on Tuesday (January 16) that they have added Hamas political leader Yahya Sinwar into its terror list as a result of the group's surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7. He was already included in the US terror list in 2015.
Aside from Sinwar, the bloc also included prominent al-Shabab member Ahmed Khaled Muller to its autonomous sanctions list against the Islamic State and al-Qaeda as he participated in combat operations and committed terror acts on behalf of the mentioned groups.
The Jerusalem Post reported that being in the EU's terror list meant that Sinwar and Muller are now subject to the freezing of their funds and other financial assets in EU member states, while EU operators are prohibited from making funds and economic resources available to them.
"The EU remains committed to taking decisive action against those who continue to threaten international peace and security by planning, financing, and committing terrorist attacks and by spreading their deadly propaganda around the world," the bloc said in its statement.
Sinwar was the latest Hamas member being added in the EU's terror list after it named Hamas's top commanders Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa on December 8.
The EU's decision to add the political leader into the list was to reconfirm "the EU's resolve in countering the continued terrorist threat posed by al-Qaeda, ISIL (Da'est) and their regional affiliates."
The EU initiated its terror list in the aftermath of 9/11.
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Reactions from Jewish, Hamas Leaders
Meanwhile, Israeli and Jewish European leaders welcome the development.
"This decision is also a result of our diplomatic efforts to strangle the resources of the Hamas, to delegitimize them and prohibit all support to them," Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "We will continue to eradicate the root of evil, in Gaza and wherever it raises its head."
As for the European Jewish Congress (EJC), the decision to add Sinwar in the EU's terror list was "welcome, correct, and logical."
"Hamas is a terror organization," EJC President Ariel Muzicant added, "there is no difference whatsoever between its so-called military and political wings and it should stand to reason that all its leaders should automatically appear on sanctions lists of the EU and its member states."
On the other hand, Taher Al-Nono, media advisor to Qatar-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, accused the EU of being biased and called for an end to what he said was its "double-standard policy."
"These are ridiculous and silly sanctions because everyone knows that Yahya Al-Sinwar has no assets or money, neither in Palestine nor outside it," he said.
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