Fight against terrorism - Meeting on combating Hamas (Paris, 13 December 2023)

In the wake of the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023, France, like the great majority of the international community, recalled its total rejection of terrorism, of which it has itself been a victim.

With Hamas, as with any international terrorist group, France promotes a comprehensive, security and financial approach covering propaganda issues.

As part of President Macron’s Initiative for peace and security for all, a meeting dedicated to combating Hamas took place in Paris today in the presence of many international partners. Held under the chairmanship of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Director-General for Political and Security Affairs, the meeting enabled discussion about concrete action to be taken against the terrorist group, and ways of stepping up international coordination in this respect.

During the meeting, two main priorities for action were identified. On the one hand, Hamas’s funding must be combated. The participants discussed mobilizing dedicated forums, stepping up sanctions targeting Hamas and its members, and implementing FATF’s standards effectively, including to control risks relating to the use of crypto-currencies. On the other hand, the terrorist content Hamas broadcasts online must be combated. The participants recalled the importance of robust regulation mechanisms and the need to increase cooperation based on existing mechanisms for fighting the spread of online terrorist content, while respecting the human rights and freedom of expression that prevail in a law-based State.