The British government has asked parliament to outlaw Hezbollah's military wing and accused the Iranian-backed Lebanese group of supporting terrorism in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, a government statement said.
"This means that it will be a criminal offence to belong to, fundraise and encourage support for the military wing of the organisation," the British home office (interior ministry) said in a statement on Wednesday. The ban, which needs parliamentary approval, would replace one on Hezbollah's "external security organisation". The statement said it would not affect the group's political, social and humanitarian activities.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said he was not surprised by the decision. "I consider it a natural decision to be issued by a founding bloc of the Zionist entity," Nasrallah said in a televised press conference in Beirut. "Every time a decision is issued against resistance movements ... we consider this a medal of honour," he added.
It was not immediately clear how the amended ban would be implemented. Although the group comprises guerrilla fighters, members of parliament, social, medical and reconstruction workers, it is highly centralised and all members undergo military training.