The European Union has shelved moves to outlaw the political wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, despite pressure from the United States and Israel,after it accepted a ceasefire, diplomats disclosed on today.
EU ambassadors agreed early this month to halt steps to add Hamas to its blacklist of banned terrorist organisations, which would have led to the freezing of its assets and possible prosecution of its activists.
EU leaders meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece, on June 20, before three Palestinian militant groups accepted a three-month ceasefire, called for an urgent examination of the case for wider action against Hamas fundraising.
"In the circumstances, we agreed not to take any immediateaction," a senior EU diplomat said. "We agreed to keep the issueunder review (and) return to it if there is a breach in theceasefire caused by a Hamas return to terrorism."
EU foreign ministers will hold separate meetings next Mondaywith the Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers in a drive toaid implementation of the "road map" peace plan for aPalestinian state, and to assert the EU's role in the current peace initiative.
The EU last year blacklisted Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Deen al-Qassam Brigades.
France led the opposition to outlawing Hamas' political wing, arguing it had a potential role to play in peace efforts, while Britain pushed for the EU to join the United States in banning it too.
The executive European Commission pointed to the social welfare services provided by the organisation's charitable arm.
"You can't say that the whole of Hamas is a terrorist organisation, and certainly that is not our position," chief Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinen said last month.