Israel claims UN granted Hamas-linked group NGO status

UNITED NATIONS — Israel on Monday accused a UN committee that oversees non-governmental organisations of granting UN accreditation to an association that it said promotes "anti-Israel propaganda in Europe" and is linked to the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

Israeli mission to the UN issued a statement condemning the decision, by the 19-member UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations, to approve the application of the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), an organisation based in Britain. The PRC denied having ties to Hamas and accused Israel of trying to "distort and mislead the committee member states”.

The Israeli statement said it banned the PRC in 2010 because of its ties to Hamas, labeling it "an organisational and a coordinating wing of Hamas in Europe" with members that include senior Hamas officials.

"Until today, the UN has given Hamas discounts and let it strengthen its activities," Israel's UN ambassador, Ron Prosor, said in the statement. "Now, the UN went one step further and gave Hamas a welcoming celebration at its main entrance, allowing it to be a full participant."

Some 12 countries voted in favor, including Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, Turkey, Venezuela, China and Cuba, while three voted against — the United States, Uruguay and Israel. India, Russia and Greece abstained, and Burundi was absent.

PRC described Israel's allegations as baseless.

"PRC will hand a letter of protest to the United Nations... against the false allegations circulated by Israel," the group said on its website, adding that it was "not affiliated to any Palestinian party including Hamas”.

It added that PRC was "independent and dedicated to serve the cause of Palestinian refugees and their right of return”.

Official UN status as an NGO gives groups access to UN premises and opportunities to attend or observe many events and conferences at UN sites around the world.

Neither the British nor US missions to the UN had an immediate response to Reuters requests for comment on the vote or the Israeli announcement. A UN spokesman said it would be up to member states to comment since it was their decision.

The United States and European Union have designated Hamas a terrorist organisation.

Since Hamas, and not the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, is the de facto governing authority in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations maintains limited contact with it in terms of aid delivery, education and other activities.

The UN’s principal Palestinian interlocutor is the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank.