Belgium pushes to expel 'hate preacher' Palestinian activist

Belgium's government on Monday said it wanted to revoke the refugee status of the head of a network supporting Palestinian prisoners, who it accused of being an "extremist hate preacher".

Mohammed Khatib is the coordinator in Europe for Samidoun, a controversial organization close to Palestinian Islamist groups that was banned in neighboring Germany after allegedly celebrating the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.

Belgium's Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Nicole de Moor, announced that she had asked the immigration services to withdraw the refugee status of Khatib, who she said was "known as an extremist hate preacher".

"The asylum procedure is intended for people fleeing war or unjust persecution. There is no place for people who represent a danger to society", she said.

"Even if someone has already been recognized as a refugee if that person turns out to be an extremist, recognition can be withdrawn."

De Moor said the request was based on "information provided by the security services", without giving any further details.

Last month, lawmakers in the neighboring Netherlands criticized their government for not preventing Khatib from attending a rally in the country.

Samidoun describes itself as a network that "builds solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners' movement and its struggle for freedom."

Hamas's attack in October resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,797 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.