Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the decision followed clear evidence implicating Hizbut Tahrir in a series of terrorist attacks across Israel in 2015, originally attributed to Hamas.

“It makes no sense to allow a group whose ideology is similar to that of Islamic State to operate in Israel. I intend to do everything in my power to outlaw this organization,” Erdan told Channel 10.

A Public Security Ministry statement said: “Given the intelligence presented to Minister Erdan, he decided to pursue outlawing Hizbut Tahrir, a group that rejects Israel’s right to exist and seeks to replace it with an Islamic caliphate.”

Hizbut Tahrir’s activities in Israel are focused on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, “where its leaders spread their radical teachings and incite terrorism,” the statement said.

Outlawing the group will afford authorities a wider scope of legal tools to use against Hizbut Tahrir operatives in Israel, the ministry’s statement said.