A HAMAS “senior operative” lives in a £500,000 semi-detached house in leafy north London, the Sun on Sunday can reveal.
The Israeli government designated Zaher Birawi as a member of the terrorist organisation in 2013 for his alleged role in Hamas’ European office.
A video shows him speaking at a 2019 event in London on “Understanding Hamas” and he has been photographed with the political leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh.
Not known, clear with picture deskZaher Birawi and Jeremy Corbyn[/caption]
Now it can be revealed the Palestinian activist lives in a semi in a quiet suburban road in Barnet a few minutes from shops. The borough has the largest Jewish population in Britain.
He is a registered owner of the property, bought for £380,000 in 2007.
Mr Birawi has also been pictured alongside former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and visited him in Parliament in 2015.
According to Israel’s strategic affairs ministry, Mr Birawi moved to the UK in the 1990s, has “close ties to Hamas” and worked for several pro-Palestinian NGOs – including one tied to Hamas.
Documents, seen by this newspaper, reveal there are more men living in the UK the Israeli government believe are linked to Hamas.
Their presence in the UK poses serious questions for the Home Office and security services.
The UK banned Hamas’s military wing as a terrorist organisation more than 20 years ago and in 2021 included its political wing.
Labour MP Christian Wakeford told the Sun on Sunday: “It highlights a clear national security threat if we’ve got operatives from a proscribed terrorist organisation living and promoting Hamas in London.”
GettyBury South Labour MP Christian Wakeford[/caption]
Mr Wakeford named Mr Birawi in the Commons this week using special parliamentary protections that protect him from being sued.
The MP for Bury South raised concerns over a “serious national security risk” from “Hamas operatives” claimed to be living in London.
They include Hamas fugitive Muhammad Qassem Sawalha – accused of running the group’s terrorist operations in the West Bank – who reportedly lives in London in a council property he recently bought with a £112,000 discount.
Mr Wakeford told the Commons: “[Mr Birawi] was designated by Israel in 2013 as a senior Hamas operative in Europe.
“He is listed as a trustee of a UK-registered charity Education Aid for Palestinians, and a publicly available video shows him hosting a 2019 event in London titled ‘Understanding Hamas’.
“Two weeks ago, Hamas launched the deadly terrorist attack the world has seen since 9/11.
“This House rightly voted to proscribe Hamas in its entirety in November 2021. It is therefore a serious national security risk for Hamas operatives to be living here in London.”
The group was responsible for the deadly terror attack on Israel on October 7 in which they kidnapped more than 200 hostages.
Mr Birawi said Mr Wakeford’s claim was “baseless” and that he was looking at “all available legal recourse” in response to the MP’s comments.
He said: “I have been made aware of the fact that the Member of Parliament for Bury South, Christian Wakefield, made a reference to my name in the proceedings of the House of Commons on October 26.
“Regrettably, this mention appears to have been motivated by an intent to besmirch my character and, potentially, to rationalise any harm that may befall me or my family.
“In a time when we should all exercise vigilance and contemplate the potential consequences of our words, particularly their capacity to incite violence and animosity, Mr Wakefield chose a contrary course of action.
“I wish to reaffirm that what the respected MP said about the accusation is baseless and that it is part of the distortion attempts undertaken by the occupying state to prevent activists supporting Palestinian rights from carrying out their duties in supporting the Palestinian human rights.”
He added: “I would like to confirm that any attempts aimed at tarnishing my reputation shall not deter me from my unwavering commitment to fulfil my duties and engage in advocacy to safeguard the rights of those living under the oppressive Israeli regime.
“I intend to consult with my legal counsel and explore all available legal recourses in response to these developments.”
A government spokesperson said: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases.”
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