New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, and Foreign Minister ,Winston Peters, announced Thursday that their country has designated Hamas, both its military and political wings, as a "terrorist entity.”

“The [Operation Aqsa Typhoon] by Hamas in October 2023 [was} brutal and we have unequivocally condemned them,” Luxon said.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, had already been designated as a “terrorist entity” by New Zealand since 2010.

The statement added that what happened on Oct. 7 “reinforces that we can no longer distinguish between the military and political wings of Hamas. The organization as a whole bears responsibility…”

The designation thus freezes Hamas’ assets in New Zealand, and also makes it a criminal offense to carry out property or financial transactions with them or provide material support.

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