Germany

Germany’s interior minister announced Thursday that all Hamas activities in the country will be banned going forward. The ban also applies to the pro-Palestinian group Samidoun. “With regard to Hamas, today I have completely banned all activities of a terrorist group aimed at destroying the state of Israel,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement. Samidun’s German wing will also be banned. Faeser says the international network is working covertly and is effectively a solidarity group for prisoners spreading anti-Israel and anti-Semitic propaganda.
      “In doing so, Samidoun also supports and glorifies various foreign terrorist organisations – and Hamas in particular,” the German minister said. The European Union and the United States consider Hamas to be a terrorist organisation. The movement, along with Samidun, is now subject to an activity ban, which could lead to any assets being seized and the two groups not being allowed to appear on the internet or social media in Germany. It is a criminal offence to be active for such organisations in any way. /ritzau/