An anti-Brexit placard is seen outside the Houses of Parliament in London, March 13, 2019. Photo: Reuters / Tom Jacobs.

A top UK Jewish group praised the British government on Monday for its reassurance that sanctions on terrorist organizations, including Hamas, will continue after Britain leaves the European Union.

In a letter to Board of Deputies of British Jews Chief Executive Gillian Merron, Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Andrew Murrison wrote, “I can confirm that, as the Prime Minister has set out, we will look to carry over existing sanctions at the point of our departure.”

This, he said, would apply to both Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), about which the Board of Deputies had expressed particular concern.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Murrison added, had “gone through in an extensive process in the last few months to enable us to continue to apply sanctions in the event of a no-deal Brexit.”

“This will enable the UK to continue to apply counter-terrorism sanctions after Brexit,” he said. “Home Office proscription of groups, including that of Hamas, will not be affected by Brexit.”

In response to the letter, the Board of Deputies’ senior vice president, Sheila Gewolb, stated, “We are grateful that the UK Government has reassured us that progress has been made on future UK sanctions that apply to terrorist organizations currently under EU law.”

“In particular, Hamas and the PFLP will continue to be sanctioned following the UK’s exit from the European Union,” she added. “In whatever Brexit scenario we are going to face, terrorist organizations will be sanctioned by our government.”