Israeli army soldiers take position during a raid in the Nur Shams camp for Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank on July 9, 2024. (Credit: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)
Argentina designated Hamas a terrorist organization on Friday and ordered a freeze on the financial assets of the Palestinian group, according to AP.
Argentinian President Javier Milei's office announced the decision and cited Hamas' cross-border attack on Israel last Oct. 7 that killed around 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.
Milei's office also mentioned Hamas' close ties to Iran and stressed the “unwavering commitment to recognizing terrorists for what they are,” adding that “it’s the first time that there is a political will to do so."
Argentina blames Iran for two deadly militant attacks on Jewish sites in the country; the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires and the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992.
Argentina’s judiciary has accused members of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group of carrying out the two attacks.
"Argentina must once again align itself with Western civilization," the statement added.
According to AP, Milei seeks to align Argentina strongly with the U.S. and Israel and has "set himself apart from even Israel’s closest allies in his vocal support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."
After nine months of war, the Gaza Health Ministry said more than 38,000 were killed in the Palestinian territory. The Israeli war on Gaza has also displaced over 80% of the territory's people and triggered a humanitarian disaster.
The U.S., European Union and several other countries long put a terrorist designation on Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.