They claim the prime minister personally assured them at a Downing Street meeting on September 11 that sanctions against Hamas and other groups involved in anti-Jewish terrorism would be “deepened and widened”.
Starmer reiterated the pledge publicly days later in a speech announcing Palestinian statehood.
According to The Times, officials have admitted privately that there is no imminent sign of new penalties being imposed due to concern it could upset ongoing peace discussions.
Since Labour entered government in July 2024, there have not been any sanctions placed on individuals associated with Hamas, according to the Foreign Office website.
There are currently 30 individuals with links to the terror group under sanctions by the UK. The last time sanctions were imposed was in March 2024 under the Conservatives.
Some individuals based in Britain have been sanctioned by allied countries to the UK, such as Zaher Birawi whom the US accused of being a “senior official” in Hamas.
Birawi, who describes himself as a journalist, has organised pro-Palestine marches and assisted Greta Thunberg’s flotilla to Gaza.
The hostage families’ letter, seen by the JC, expresses their “frustration with the lack of progress on sanctions, despite your clear commitment.
“By not pushing ahead with enhanced sanctions, your government is saying that it is the right thing to do but the wrong time to do it. This seems to us to be unprincipled.
“We cannot see how more aggressively sanctioning Hamas and its supporters and similar organisations and people will impact negatively on the ceasefire agreement, nor can we see how sanctioning Hamas-affiliated individuals in the UK could do so.”
Adam Ma'anit speaks at a rally for the Gaza hostages (Credit: Belinda Jiao/Getty Images)Getty Images
The United States, they say, “felt no such restraint” in pursuing sanctions against alleged Hamas officials in the UK.
“Hamas and other terrorist organisations need to be put in a position they can no longer operate, including in the UK. You promised this in your speech on 29 July 2025, for example, but Hamas remains a key player in Gaza today, able both to influence HM Government policy towards sanctions, and to control the part of Gaza not under Israel’s control,” the letter says.
Signatories to the letter, which is dated January 21, includes Adam Ma’anit, cousin of murdered hostage Tsachi Idan; Steve Brisley, whose sister and two nieces were murdered on October 7; Mandy Damari, mother of released British hostage Emily Damari, and others.
Birawi failed to respond to previous approaches by the JC regarding the Hamas allegation.
However, in a statement to other media outlets, he has said: “I categorically reject this designation and believe it is based on inaccurate information and lacks a sound legal foundation. I would also like to state clearly that, prior to the issuance of this decision, I was not contacted by any competent US authority, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of inquiry, verification, or to provide clarifications or supporting documents. This deprived me of the opportunity to exercise my fundamental right to respond and to correct any incorrect information.
“It is important to note that this designation does not constitute a judicial finding, was not issued by any competent court, and represents a unilateral executive measure taken under US domestic law. It is not based on any United Nations resolution and does not create binding legal obligations outside the US legal framework. It should not be understood as a finding of criminal liability or wrongdoing under UK or international law.”
The Foreign Office said: “The UK has taken strong action against Hamas. We proscribed the terrorist organisation in its entirety in November 2021, making it a criminal offence to be a member of or support the organisation.
“We keep all potential sanctions under review but do not comment on future designations.”
