British authorities have arrested a man in West London on suspicion of supporting Hamas online.

The 43-year-old suspect was reportedly detained on Wednesday after a member of the public reported his alleged pro-Hamas propaganda to London’s Metropolitan Police. He was taken into custody but later released on bail pending a comprehensive investigation.

“Ever since the terrible attacks in Israel last October, and the subsequent conflict, there has been a significant increase in the amount of extremist and terrorist material being referred to us by the public,” Met Commander Dominic Murphy told the Daily Mail.

“Each and every referral gets assessed by specialist officers, and anything that is considered a potential terrorism offense here in the UK will get passed on for further investigation. From that investigation, if and where we find evidence of a crime being committed, then we’ll look to identify, arrest, and bring the person responsible to justice.”

It marks one of the first major enforcement actions in the UK against vocal support for Hamas since the government’s decision in 2021 to outlaw the group in its entirety. Previously, only Hamas’ “military” wing was banned while its political arm enjoyed legal status.

Britain’s prime minister has indicated that no one can afford a climate of ambiguity surrounding Hamas’ legitimacy. While the US, EU and others have all designated Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organization for years, the UK’s recent shift in its counter-terrorism posture irrevocably condemns the terror organization’s online cheerleaders on home soil