Hamas keeps quiet on Russian war in Ukraine
Hamas is keen on keeping mum about Russia’s war on Ukraine, following lessons learned from the Arab Spring.
Following in the footsteps of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Hamas is keen to remain silent on the Russian military attack on Ukraine, which was launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin Feb. 24.
Hamas has been increasingly isolated on the international scene, having received a political blow from several Western countries. On Nov. 26, 2021, the United Kingdom declared Hamas a terrorist organization. On March 3, Australia also classified it as a terrorist group.
Canada had previously done so in 2002. In 2021, New Zealand designated Hamas' armed wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, as a “terrorist entity.”
In September 2001, the European Union listed Hamas as a “terrorist group” in the aftermath of the attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. But in December 2014, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a ruling to remove Hamas’ name from the terrorist lists citing an error in judicial procedures.
