Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews on Thursday announced that the Australian government intends to list the entirety of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas as a terrorist organization under the Australian criminal code. 

Founded in 1987, Hamas was originally a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar Hassan al-Bannain in 1928. Since its founding, Hamas has transitioned into a religiously and ideologically motivated extremist organization and political party that fused Palestinian nationalism with Sunni Islamist objectives. Hamas has been the governing body in Gaza since its elections in 2006 and is responsible for the provision of government services and administration within Gaza.

Recently, Hamas has prioritized its nationalist objectives over its religious ones. The group’s current primary goal is the establishment of an independent Islamic Palestinian state comprising of Gaza, the West Bank and the territory of Israel.

According to Minister Andrews: “The views of Hamas and the violent extremist groups listed today are deeply disturbing, and there is no place in Australia for their hateful ideologies.” She went on to state: “It is vital that our laws target not only terrorist acts and terrorists, but also the organizations that plan, finance and carry out these acts.”

Australia has newly listed three other groups as terrorist organizations: Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Hurras al-Din, which are based in Syria, and the Nationalist Socialist Order, a group based in the US. Australia also re-listed another four Islamist militant groups: the Abu Sayyaf Group, al Qaeda, al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, and Jemaah Islamiyah.

In November, Australia listed two other organizations, the Base and Hezballah, as terrorist organizations. In the same month, the UK presented a proscription order to Parliament to enact a complete ban on Hamas from the UK.