US labels Palestine Action terrorist group amid Gaza fallout

WASHINGTON (MNTV) — The United States has designated the UK-based pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, imposing financial sanctions in a move that critics are likely to view as another expansion of Washington’s campaign against pro-Palestinian activism.

The US Treasury Department announced the measures, accusing Palestine Action of supporting acts it described as terrorism since 2020, including incidents that allegedly injured British law enforcement officers and targeted commercial organizations connected to Israel.

Under the sanctions, assets belonging to the group in the United States or controlled by US persons will be blocked. The move further extends the Trump administration’s use of financial restrictions against organizations it characterizes as far-left extremist or terrorist groups.

Palestine Action was already outlawed in the United Kingdom after the British government designated it under terrorism legislation in 2025. 

The group has challenged that decision, arguing that its campaign of direct action against Israeli-linked arms companies is intended to oppose the supply of weapons rather than promote terrorism.

Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, condemned Washington’s decision and accused the United States of hypocrisy, pointing to the country’s military involvement in conflicts affecting her Palestinian and Iraqi backgrounds.

Ammori said the group’s activities had been motivated by an effort to save lives and warned that the British ban and US sanctions raised serious questions about freedom of expression and democratic rights.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the sanctions, warning that the administration would use economic measures against organizations it considers political terrorist groups.

The US action comes as Palestine Action continues its legal challenge against Britain’s prohibition. In June, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that the government’s decision constituted a justified and proportionate restriction on freedom of expression.

The group has since received permission to take its challenge to the UK Supreme Court.

The British ban has also led to mass arrests. More than 2,000 people reportedly face potential prosecution after demonstrations in which protesters allegedly expressed support for Palestine Action following its designation as a proscribed organization.

The group’s members have also faced criminal proceedings over direct-action operations. Four members were sentenced in June over a break-in at a defense company that caused more than $1 million in damage. One individual was also convicted of seriously injuring a police officer during the incident.

Washington’s decision has intensified a wider debate over how governments respond to pro-Palestinian activism, particularly amid continuing international criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and Western governments’ political and military support for Israel.

Critics of the US designation argue that applying terrorism-related financial powers to a political activist organization risks expanding the definition of terrorism in ways that can suppress protest and dissent, particularly when the underlying activism targets companies accused of supporting Israel’s military operations.