Outrage in Israel

UN representative: “Hamas is not a terrorist organization”

Relatives of Hamas hostages are demanding arrest warrants for Hamas leaders at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.(Bild: AP)

According to UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but a political movement. With this opinion, which he recently expressed in a television interview, the 72-year-old Briton has caused outrage in Israel.

Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Finally, the United Nations' support for Hamas is exposed live on TV." Erdan asked, among other things: "Is the barbaric murder of hundreds of civilians not terror? Is the systematic rape of women not terror?" Foreign Minister Israel Katz also wrote on Twitter on Thursday: "Shame on him!" The minister even referred to Hamas as a "Nazi organization".

A Sky News journalist had asked Griffiths whether Israel's plan to destroy Hamas and not allow it any part in future negotiations over Gaza was realistic (see above). The UN representative replied: "I think it's very difficult. I have worked with many, many different terrorist and rebel groups. For us, Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but a political movement."

Members of the armed arm of Hamas(Bild: SAID KHATIB)

The reasoning of the UN representative
The high-ranking UN official also emphasized on X that Hamas is not on the UN Security Council's list of groups classified as terrorist organizations. At the same time, the Briton emphasized: "However, this does not make their terrorist attacks on 7 October any less terrible and reprehensible."

In addition to Israel, Hamas is also regarded as a terrorist organization by the EU and the USA.