The UK government assured Hamas that it would maintain funding for Gaza projects, even after labeling the group a terrorist organization

Image: Jihad Watch

Despite the United Kingdom’s long-standing policy of avoiding engagement with terrorist organizations, evidence has emerged indicating that a British official met with members of Hamas in Gaza at least once, the Daily Express reported over the weekend.

According to documents obtained from Hamas’s internal security apparatus, the meeting reportedly took place in February 2022 and involved a staff member associated with the British consulate in Israel. This encounter occurred only a few months after London officially designated Hamas as a terrorist organization in November 2021.

The British representative allegedly aimed to reassure Hamas leaders that this designation would not affect ongoing British government-funded projects in Gaza. The official was quoted as saying: “The decision to ban Hamas was made by the Home Office, not by the Foreign Office.”

Anne Herzberg, legal adviser to NGO Monitor, an Israeli organization that monitors nongovernmental groups, commented on the revelations, stating: “The U.K. government has repeatedly maintained for years that it does not communicate with terrorists, yet these documents, uncovered deep inside Gaza, provide direct evidence that U.K. diplomatic personnel did meet with Hamas officials. These files raise serious questions about the extent of British engagement with Hamas since 2021, and whether such back-channel communications continue today, especially as the Labour government appears poised to reward Hamas for its violent actions on October 7 by recognizing Palestinian statehood.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office declined to deny that the meeting had taken place.

This revelation gains additional significance in the context of left-leaning Western governments—such as those in the UK, Canada, France, and Australia—taking steps that undermine Israel by recognizing Palestinian statehood, fully aware that Israel is engaged in a conflict against groups it identifies as Palestinian “resistance” fighting for the country’s very existence. Such actions underscore, critics argue, that these governments are increasingly detached from the Judeo-Christian values that historically underpinned their societies.

This pattern of engagement is not limited to Britain. Pierre Krahenbuhl, the former chief of UNRWA, reportedly held multiple meetings with leaders of Palestinian terrorist organizations. On one occasion, he explicitly called for covert partnership and unity between UNRWA and groups including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, declaring, “We are united and no one can separate us.” This rhetoric mirrors the reassurances given by the British official regarding continued funding of Gaza projects despite Hamas’s terrorist designation.

The infiltration of Western institutions by Hamas and its umbrella organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, is increasingly evident. Israel, standing on the front lines of global jihad, continues to face existential threats, while Western leftist governments, through both policy and tacit support, appear to embolden these groups. The ongoing violence perpetrated by Hamas—supported by nations such as Qatar and Turkey—demonstrates the consequences when extremist Islam gains political and financial encouragement.

As left-leaning governments openly undermine Israel and, by extension, the principles of their own free societies while legitimizing Hamas and its “resistance,” patriotic societies face a crucial choice. However, with the rise of patriotic political opposition figures across the European Union, there remains a measure of hope for those committed to defending both Israel and the values of democratic nations.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)