British lawmakers voted on Wednesday to designate the pro-Palestinian activist network Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, following a series of direct actions by the group targeting military and defence infrastructure in protest of UK-Israel ties.
The move follows a high-profile break-in last month at a Royal Air Force base in southern England, during which Palestine Action activists damaged two aircraft. It was the latest in a series of operations that the group describes as “disruptive civil resistance” aimed at halting UK support for Israel’s military industry.
The proscription, pushed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and backed by the Labour government, places Palestine Action on the same legal footing as banned groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State. Supporting or affiliating with the group will now be considered a criminal offence under UK counterterrorism law.
Palestine Action has repeatedly targeted sites linked to Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, which it calls its “primary target.” Past actions have included sabotage at a Thales weapons factory in 2022 and coordinated raids on Elbit-linked facilities in 2023 and 2024. The government claims these actions have caused millions of pounds in damages.
In response to the ban, the group called the decision an “abuse of power” and filed an emergency legal challenge. A court hearing is scheduled for Friday.
Cooper defended the decision, saying that “criminal damage and violence have no place in legitimate protest” and that the proscription reflects a zero-tolerance approach to threats against national security.
Despite the looming ban, Palestine Action said on Tuesday that its activists had blocked access to an Elbit facility in Bristol and occupied the rooftop of a subcontractor site in Suffolk.
The proscription order, which also includes two other groups—the white supremacist Russian Imperial Movement and the neo-Nazi Maniacs Murder Cult—now moves to the House of Lords. If approved there, it will become law within days.
Israel has rejected allegations of misconduct in its military campaign in Gaza, which began after the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023.