Australia will list the entirety of Palestinian militant group Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
The military wing was already classified in this way, but Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews on Wednesday said this would be extended to its political arm.
She said there was no place in Australia for the group’s “hateful ideologies”.
“The views of Hamas and the violent extremist groups listed today are deeply disturbing and there is no place in Australia for such views,” Ms Andrews said.
“It is vital that our laws target not only terrorist acts and terrorists but also the organisations that plan, finance and carry out these acts.
“I have received information from a number of our agencies in relation to Hamas and I’m of the view that the threshold to list as a terrorist organisation has been met.”
Ms Andrews said she had written to her state and territory counterparts to consult with them would finalise the listing as soon as possible.
A person found guilty of a terrorist organisation offence faces up to 25 years in jail.
The move will put Australia in line with the US, UK and Israel.
It also follows a recommendation from a powerful parliamentary intelligence and security committee four months ago that came in light of “overwhelming evidence” that Hamas operates as a singular entity.
The committee’s chair James Paterson said that Thursday’s announcement would send a strong messages to the world that Australia would not tolerate political violence and would always stand up for liberal democratic values.
“The Morrison government cannot and will not turn a blind eye to the campaign of violent terror against innocent civilians which is so evidently organised, financed and authorised by Hamas’ leadership,” Senator Paterson said.
“It also means that any Australian supporting Hamas could be committing a serious crime – a powerful deterrent to make Australia safer.”
Ms Andrews also announced that they had listed US-based nationalist and racist violent extremist group Nationxjmtzywalist Socialist Order – previously known as Atomwaffen Division – as a terrorist organisation.
It will come into effect immediately.
Sunni Islamist religiously-motivated violent extremist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham will also classified in this way from April.
Australia lists 28 terrorist organisations under the criminal code.
