The Swiss government decided Wednesday to draft a law explicitly banning Hamas activities or support for the Palestinian militant group after its unprecedented attack on Israel.
“The ban has the sole aim of preventing the terrorist activities of this organisation, and the people who support them,” Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider told a press conference.
She said banning Hamas would make it easier to expel “dangerous people” and speed up criminal proceedings against “potential terrorists”.
The act, to be drafted by the end of February, is aimed at giving Swiss authorities the tools to counter Hamas activities or support for the group within Switzerland.
The decision did not come easily in the militarily neutral country which takes pride in providing good offices in international negotiations — a position some felt would be jeopardised by such a ban.
The government “is aware of the fact that banning an organisation constitutes a significant attack on fundamental rights and could affect Switzerland’s room for manoeuvre in foreign policy”, said Baume-Schneider.
However, the government decided that domestic security interests and the need to fight “terrorist financing” should prevail.
On October 7, Hamas gunmen crossed the border from Gaza to stage attacks that Israel said left 1,200 people dead, most of them civilians. They said another 239 people were taken hostage.
Israel declared war on Hamas, launching an air and ground bombing offensive against Gaza which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed 14,100 people, thousands of them children.
The seven-member Swiss government is formed by ministers from the four biggest parties, and lawmakers are likely to swing strongly behind the draft law.
The hard-right Swiss People’s Party — the biggest in the country — has been strongly advocating for a ban.
“October 7 is a turning point in history,” Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told the press conference in Bern.
The European Union and the United States, among others, already designate Hamas as a “terrorist organisation”.
On October 11, the Swiss government said it too was “of the opinion that Hamas should be classified as a terrorist organisation”.
Cassis said under the draft law, banks and other financial intermediaries will have to detect and report possible activities in Switzerland of Hamas and affiliated organisations.
“No Swiss funding should be used by non-governmental organisations to support the actions of Hamas,” added Baume-Schneider, though Cassis specified that at present, the authorities “are not aware of Swiss funds having benefited Hamas and its activities”.
Cassis also noted that Switzerland had already banned Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group.
The Swiss government called Wednesday for respect for international humanitarian law and particularly the protection of civilians in the Gaza war.
It said there should be pauses in the war to allow for unimpeded humanitarian access.
Bern reiterated the need to restore a peace process based on a two-state solution.
