GAZA CITY, Palestine 

Palestinian movement Hamas has condemned a U.S. decision to place a group leader into the list of “world terrorists”. 

The State Department on Friday designated Fathi Hammad, a former Hamas interior minister, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). 

“This is a serious development that reflects the total U.S. bias to the Israeli occupation,” Hamas said in a statement. 

It went on to call on the U.S. administration to reverse the decision “which is a provocation to the feelings of the whole nation”. 

Hammad also decried the U.S. decision as a bias to Israel. 

“This decision will not terrorize us or nip the will of our people to defend their rights in the bud,” he said in a statement. 

The State Department said Hammad, as Hamas’ interior minister, was responsible for security within Gaza, a position he used to coordinate “terrorist” cells. 

It said that Hammad established Al-Aqsa TV, which is a primary Hamas media outlet with programs allegedly designed to recruit children to become Hamas fighters and suicide bombers upon reaching adulthood. 

Washington had included three of senior Hamas leaders into the same list in September 2015. 

Under this category, any U.S. citizen or any resident of the United States is prohibited to deal with Hammad, and all his assets and properties located within the U.S. territory or those that fall within its powers will be frozen.

*Reporting by Mohammad Majid; Writing by Ali Abo Rezeg