EU to blacklist all offshoots of Hamas

RIVA DEL GARDA, Italy, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The European Union announced it will declare all wings of the militant Palestinian group Hamas parts of a terrorist organization and freeze their assets.

The Washington Post reported Sunday the bloc's foreign ministers said the move is in response to dozens of recent deadly attacks in Israel.

Previously the EU blacklisted just the group's military arm, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. But, following the lead of the United States, the EU agreed to block funding to all Hamas political offshoots, fund-raising charities and social welfare groups.

Reacting to a suicide bus bombing Aug. 19 that killed 22 people, President George Bush froze the U.S. assets of five European-based organizations, claiming they raised money for Hamas.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant group, both claimed responsibility for the bombing.

EU officials will meet Monday to discuss details of the blacklisting, which requires freezing Hamas assets. The decision is expected to be formalized within weeks, the Post said.