EU agrees to put Hamas political wing on terrorist list

BRUSSELS, Sept 11 (AFP) - The European Union agreed Thursday on the details of putting the political wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas on its blacklist of terrorist organisations, diplomatic sources said.

The decision, which will lead to Hamas assets being frozen in the 15 EU countries, is due to become official on Saturday when the group's name will be included on a revised blacklist in the EU's official journal.

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Hamas has claimed two back-to-back attacks in Israel on Tuesday in which 15 Israelis died, sparking an angry retaliation from Israel with Israeli defence and security officials holding emergency talks on Thursday.

EU foreign ministers agreed at talks in Italy last weekend on the principle of blacklisting Hamas, but officials and diplomats have been working on exactly who will be listed.

On Thursday one EU source said that the listing will mention "Hamas as a political entity." It will not include individuals or leaders from the movement, nor the names of groups of associations which claim to be part of the movement, said the source.

According to a number of diplomats, France played a key role in deciding not to name individuals or groups.

Diplomats had pointed out that Hamas' political wing consists of a number of non-military agencies and groups, some of them with social and charity functions -- and that banning all of them would hurt ordinary Palestinians.

Hamas' armed branch, Ezzedine-al-Qassam, has already been on the EU blacklist since it was created in 2001.

Before last Saturday's ministerial decision on Italy's Lake Garda, agreement had been held up for months by a group of EU states including France and Belgium which argued that it would be counterproductive.

Hamas dismissed the EU decision as new evidence of Western hostility towards Islam. "This decision is a worthless formality," said Hamas leader Abdulaziz al-Rantissi. "It is a declaration of European hostility towards Islam."

The European Commission stressed this week that it already gives "generous" financial aid to the Palestinian Authority -- a 245-million euro package -- and would not be able to compensate any funds cut off by the blacklisting.

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