UK judge orders home secretary to explain opposition to Hamas de-proscription appeal

A British judge has ordered the UK home secretary to explain the government's opposition to Hamas's appeal to be removed from the list of proscribed terrorist organizations. The appeal was lodged by Mousa Abu Marzouk, the head of Hamas’s foreign relations office, challenging the 2021 designation of the entire movement as a terrorist group. The judge criticized the government for significant delays in the legal proceedings, noting more than seven months had passed since the appeal was formally lodged. Hamas argues that the proscription hinders its ability to broker a political solution to the conflict and criminalizes ordinary Palestinians.