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Earlier this week, the British government announced plans to ban Hezbollah as a terrorist group, accusing the organization of causing severe instability in the Middle East.
The Jihad Council, the military wing of the group, was outlawed in Britain in 2008, but the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party, the political arm of Hezbollah, was not. British authorities say they are no longer able to distinguish between the two wings.
If Parliament approves, the order will go into effect Friday, March 1.
Once the ban is effective, it will be a criminal offense to be a member of Hezbollah, carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Hezbollah was formed in the early 1980s as a Shia Muslim resistance movement following the invasion of Lebanon by Israel.
The group’s name translates to the “Party of God.” In 2006, Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border attack that led to a month-long war with Lebanon.
The movement has since grown into a political, military and social organization that holds significant power in Lebanon.
In January, Hezbollah made significant political gains. The group was awarded three minister positions in the newly-formed Lebanese cabinet.
Hezbollah is already recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel, Canada, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
These state opponents and suprastate organization opponents find Hezbollah’s continuous accumulation of weapons and participation in violence to be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Financially backed by Iran, Hezbollah has sent thousands of militants to intervene in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Hezbollah’s opponents argue the organization’s support of al-Assad has extended the suffering of Syrian citizens.
British Home Secretary Sajid Javid expressed his eagerness to take action against organizations that destabilize the Middle East on Twitter.
“Today I’ve announced the banning of three groups– including Hezbollah. We will continue to outlaw terrorist organizations that threaten our safety and security,” Javid tweeted.
In addition to Hezbollah, the order also bans Ansaroul Islam and Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM), militant Islamist groups in West Africa, as terrorist organizations.
Ansaroul Islam seeks to impose a strict view of Salafist Sharia law in Burkina Faso, while JNIM seeks to enact a similar view in Africa’s Sahel region.
Israel’s Security Minister Gilad Erdan praised Britain’s decision to ban the militant groups, urging the European Union to follow their lead and enact similar policies.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt released a statement expressing Britain’s support of a stable Lebanon in the face of the ban of Hezbollah.
“This does not change our ongoing commitment to Lebanon, with whom we have a broad and strong relationship,” Hunt said.
Hunt asserted Britain no longer found it possible to stay complacent in the face of terrorism.
If the ban is approved, Britain’s official stance on Hezbollah will be in line with that of the United States.
As reported to the Daily Star, a source from the U.K. Embassy in Beirut claims enacting the ban on Hezbollah will not impact Britain’s current relationship with Lebanon in a negative way.
