(TJV NEWS) A legal move by lawyers representing Hamas to challenge its designation as a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom has triggered widespread condemnation from British lawmakers and Jewish advocacy groups, according to The Algemeiner.

Last week, Riverway Law filed a legal claim on behalf of senior Hamas figure Moussa Abu Marzouk, seeking to overturn the group’s status on the UK’s list of proscribed terrorist organizations. The filing argues that Hamas is a “Palestinian Islamic liberation and resistance movement” that should not be banned under UK law.

As The Algemeiner reported, the law firm submitted its petition to UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Because it is illegal to financially support proscribed terrorist groups, the firm says it is offering pro bono legal services.

The petition argues that the ban violates international law, restricts freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights, and disproportionately punishes a group that it claims does not threaten the UK directly. The filing also cites the 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which labels parts of Israel’s presence in Palestinian territories as illegal, as part of its justification.

However, critics, including Members of Parliament and Jewish organizations, have strongly pushed back. The Algemeiner interviewed Jonathan Turner, head of UK Lawyers for Israel, who stated he doubts the British government will consider lifting the ban. He stressed that freedom of speech and assembly can be lawfully limited for national security purposes and reminded readers that Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.

Turner added, “Hamas is a very vicious terrorist organization,” as quoted in The Algemeiner.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick took to social media to denounce Riverway Law and its attorney Fahad Ansari, accusing them of using the legal system to “platform extremism” and crossing into open support for terrorism. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel called Hamas an “evil Iranian-backed terrorist organization” responsible for widespread atrocities, including the killing of 18 British nationals on October 7 — the deadliest terrorist incident involving UK citizens since 9/11.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) also rebuked the effort, calling the legal move a “bad-faith attempt to promote genocidal antisemitism.” CAA emphasized that supporting Palestinian rights or a two-state solution does not require endorsing Hamas or terrorism.

As The Algemeiner detailed, the timing of the legal challenge is especially provocative, coming shortly after a comprehensive parliamentary report on the October 7 massacre. The report found that around 7,000 Hamas-led terrorists killed over 1,180 people, injured more than 4,000, and kidnapped 251 — 41 of whom were dead at the time of their abduction. The report also documented torture, sexual violence, and the mutilation of victims’ bodies.

Opposition to the legal effort appears to be building rapidly, with critics calling the petition not only dangerous but an affront to victims of terror.