The parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security (PJCIS) is set to hold a public hearing examining the relisting of Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades as part of its larger review into the relisting of five organisations as terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code.
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Hamas’ Izz al-Din al Qassam Brigades are the paramilitary wing of Hamas and have been listed as a terrorist organisation by the government since 2003. The committee will hear from experts on Hamas as well as from government agencies such as the Department of Home Affairs and ASIO.
Evidence presented to the committee by experts would help determine whether the listing of Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades should be widened to include the entirety of Hamas, which is not currently captured, according to chair of the committee senator James Paterson.
“The committee has not hesitated in the past to recommend broadening terrorist listings if we believe the evidence supports doing so, for example with Hezbollah,” Senator Paterson said.
"We will carefully consider the case for listing all of Hamas as a terrorist organisation rather than just its paramilitary wing.”
Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the committee’s website.
Public hearing details
Friday, 1 October 2021
10:00am – 1:00pm (AEST)
Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra
The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.
[Related: PJCIS backs critical infrastructure bill split to tackle urgent threats]