NHS neurologist backs ‘armed struggle’ of Hamas

An NHS neurologist who backed Hamas’ “armed struggle” has prompted calls for the General Medical Council (GMC) to investigate the "growing trend" of medical professionals expressing support for extremism.

Dr Rehiana Ali, a doctor and former Parliamentary candidate, advocated for the “de-proscription” of terror groups under UK law – even after she was reported to the GMC for inflammatory posts.

A consultant neurologist who has worked in the NHS since 2003 and was registered as specialist neurologist in 2016, Ali described Hamas as "legitimate Palestinian resistance". 

Her latest comments came after the Jewish Medical Council filed two complaints to the GMC against her – one before the UK election and another in August.

Since then, she has posted a string of disturbing statements. In a post last month she wrote: “Hamas are not terrorists and are legitimate Palestinian resistance… UK law was abused at the behest of the Israeli lobby” when Hamas and Hezbollah were proscribed, adding: "They need to be de-proscribed.”

Responding to a clip posted last month in which the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) chief, Ben Jamel, stated, “Israel has no right to defend itself” and “It is the Palestinian people who have a right to resist, including - as enshrined within international law - through armed resistance,” Ali suggested the law against Hamas was “ridiculous” and linked to a blog entry titled “Hamas are not terrorists - the Palestinian People have a legal right to armed struggle”.

On November 4, the doctor posted: “Resistance is not terrorism” in response to a grieving mother who said: “May Allah take revenge on Netanyahu and the Arab states.”

The same day, she wrote: “Israelis won’t be able to kill Hamas. Because Hamas is Palestinian resistance.”

Last month, she shared an image of what appeared to be a green Hamas flag with the comment: “Is it time these groups were de-proscribed? We all know who the real terrorists are.”

In previous tweets, she suggested that the Taliban would “bring peace to Afghanistan... then worry about your other ‘rights’”. She also tweeted “Russia is not our enemy” and claimed, “Iran protects its people”.

In the 2024 general election, Ali stood for Parliament in Bradford South, where she won 10 per cent of the vote. Her manifesto committed to “end the Holocaust in Palestine”, stop the “pro-Israel lobby”, “end abuse of ‘terrorism’ legislation,” and promised to ensure there would be no military conscription in the UK. She claimed a Labour vote was “a vote for Zionist Keir Starmer”.

Responding to Ali's comments, the Community Security Trust (CST) pressed the doctors’ regulator, the GMC, to “urgently investigate the growing trend of health staff openly expressing support for extremism.

“We see it online, in demonstrations and even on hospital wards. This is a serious and worsening problem,” a CST spokesperson said.

The GMC told the JC: “We can and will investigate serious concerns that suggest patient safety or the public’s confidence in doctors may be at risk, and we are clear that the standards expected of doctors do not change when they are communicating online. We consider all concerns that are raised with us and we take this responsibility very seriously.”

The JC contacted Dr Ali for comment.