Jeremy Corbyn calls Hamas a 'terrorist group' but says Israel also behind ‘acts of terror'

Jeremy Corbyn has labelled Hamas a “terrorist group” after repeatedly avoiding the term when asked, but he has also accused the Israeli military of carrying out "acts of terror".

The former Labour leader argued the comparison was necessary because Israel is killing thousands of children in airstrikes on Gaza.

Writing in the left-wing Tribune magazine, Mr Corbyn said “I deplore the targeting of all civilians," including Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel in which around 1,200 people were killed.

“If we understand terrorism to describe the indiscriminate killing of civilians, in breach of international law, then of course Hamas is a terrorist group,” he added.

“The targeting of hospitals, refugee camps and so-called safe zones by the Israeli army are acts of terror too; and the killing of more than 11,000 people, half of whom are children, cannot possibly be understood as acts of self-defence.

“We should not entertain questions from those who have no interest in applying this basic consistency.”

More than 11,400 Palestinians have been killed in the war, two-thirds of them women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities, as Israel bombards the small strip of land which is home to more than 2.2 million people.

Mr Corbyn avoided giving a direct answer when repeatedly asked whether Hamas is a terror group by Piers Morgan in a heated exchange on his TalkTV show this week.

In his Tribune article, the Islington North MP wrote: “Ultimately, we do not just have a responsibility to end the bloodshed.

“We have a responsibility to stop bloodthirsty voices from dictating the terms of debate, and to push back against cynical attempts to distract us from our urgent goal: bringing about an immediate ceasefire.”

Mr Corbyn urged readers to understand that Palestinians “are living under occupation and a system of apartheid”, in a comparison with the Irish under British rule.

He urged political leaders to “desperately” learn the lesson of how “the endless cycle of violence for good” was broken in Northern Ireland to end the Troubles.

Sir Keir Starmer, his successor as party leader, said Mr Corbyn’s “days as a Labour MP are over” after the MP repeatedly declined to call Hamas terrorists.

Hamas is designated as a terror group in the UK, as well as in the US and the European Union.

Sir Keir, who stripped Mr Corbyn of the whip in 2020, meaning he has been sitting as an independent since, said he was “taken aback and shocked” by his earlier refusal.

The current Labour leader, who served in Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet, told The News Agents podcast: “He won’t stand as a Labour MP at the next election or any election. His days as a Labour MP are over. We have a changed party.”

The Labour leader has struggled to keep his MPs and party membership united over his support of Israel, refusing to back calls for a ceasefire while urging Israel to protect civilians.

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