The Daily Express reported over the weekend that, despite the UK's stated policy of avoiding contact with terrorist groups, a British official met with Hamas members in Gaza at least once.
According to documents from Hamas' internal security apparatus obtained by the paper, the meeting occurred in February 2022 with a staff member connected to the British consulate in Israel. It took place only a few months after London declared Hamas a terrorist organization in November 2021.
The British representative reportedly sought to reassure Hamas leaders that the designation would not affect projects in Gaza funded by the UK government. 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 watchdog organization that tracks non-governmental groups, told the paper: "The UK government has repeatedly said for years that it does not talk to terrorists but now we have the proof from these files found deep inside Gaza that UK diplomatic staff did meet with Hamas officials. These documents raise a lot of questions about how much engagement has the UK government had with Hamas since 2021? and whether these back channels are still going on now, with the Labour government set to reward Hamas for its atrocities on October 7 with recognition of Palestinian statehood."
A Foreign Office spokesperson did not deny that the meeting took place but argued that "this was not a meeting" with Hamas' Interior Ministry officials. He said the staff member had been summoned by Hamas police, who operate under the ministry, to explain the British government's work in the Gaza Strip.
"Refusal to attend the summons would not have been an option," the spokesperson added. "This incident in no way represents a breach of the UK's asset freeze against the entirety of Hamas, nor our no-contact policy with the terrorist group."
