The Swiss government, on Wednesday, approved a bill designating Hamas and its affiliated organisations as terrorist entities.
According to an official statement on their website, this law aims to bolster Switzerland’s internal security and enhance the enforcement of international law.
The government highlighted that the legislation provides Swiss authorities with the necessary tools to counter potential activities of Hamas within the country and prevent any local support for the group.
The law is also designed to reduce the risk of terrorist activities on Swiss soil.
Further, the new legislation facilitates preventative measures, such as entry bans and expulsions, allowing for quicker and more effective enforcement.
It also enables criminal prosecution authorities to more efficiently target supporters of Hamas.
Switzerland clarified that this bill does not conflict with the nation’s policy of providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.
The statement noted that the ban would last for five years but could be extended by parliament if necessary.
The United States has filed criminal charges against top leaders of Hamas for their roles in planning, supporting, and executing the deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7.
The charges were brought against Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, and at least five others, for orchestrating an attack that resulted in the death of 1,200 people, including over 40 Americans, according to Israeli figures.
The attack led Israel to launch a military campaign on Gaza, which killed more than 40,800 Palestinians and devastated large portions of the territory.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement, “As outlined in our indictment, these defendants, armed with weapons, political support, and funding from the Iranian government and backing from Hezbollah, led Hamas’s efforts to destroy the State of Israel and kill civilians in support of this goal.”
