US Designates Palestine Action as Terrorist Group Over Attacks on Elbit Facilities Abroad
The United States officially designated the British anti-Israel group Palestine Action as a global terrorist organization on December 23, 2025. The US Treasury Department announced sanctions freezing all assets under American jurisdiction and banning US citizens and companies from any dealings with the group. Since its founding in 2020 by Huda Amouri and Richard Bernard, Palestine Action has targeted Elbit Systems, a major Israeli defense contractor, with direct actions including break-ins, vandalism, and protests aimed at shutting down the company and its affiliates.
The group has carried out at least 385 direct actions, including attacks on Elbit facilities and related banks, insurers, and suppliers. Notably, Elbit closed its Aztec West facility in Bristol in September 2025, a site repeatedly targeted by Palestine Action. British authorities classified several incidents as severe property damage potentially qualifying as terrorism, including a 2024 raid on an Elbit site in Filton where a police sergeant was seriously injured by a hammer attack.
Palestine Action's activities have extended beyond the UK, with a September 2025 break-in at Elbit's German offices causing approximately one million euros in damage. The UK had already outlawed the group in July 2025, making support for it a criminal offense. This led to the arrest of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in London in December 2025 for holding a sign supporting Palestine Action prisoners.
The US move follows years of legal and public battles over the group's actions, including a June 2025 incident where activists damaged two refueling aircraft at the Royal Air Force base Brize Norton. The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant condemned the group’s extremist left-wing activities and vowed to cut off their funding sources. Palestine Action's co-founder Amouri rejected the US designation, claiming their actions aim to "save lives by disrupting Israel’s war machine." However, Washington considers the group’s campaign to close Elbit as crossing the line into terrorism, justifying the sanctions and asset freezes.
