Middle East Council of States approves federal law banning Hamas

The Council of States agrees with the implementation of the ban on Hamas proposed by the Federal Council. It adopted a corresponding bill on Tuesday.

The small chamber reached its decision by 37 votes to 1 with one abstention. Now it is the National Council's turn. The matter is on the agenda of the large chamber on Wednesday.

With this bill, the Federal Council is implementing a mandate from Parliament. Following the massacres in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, the national government and both chambers had spoken out in favour of banning the radical Islamic Palestinian terrorist organization.

The Federal Council's draft provides for Hamas and related organizations to be banned for an initial period of five years. Parliament has the option of extending the ban in the ordinary legislative procedure.

The aim of the Hamas ban is, among other things, to facilitate entry bans or expulsions as well as the verification of financial flows if there is a suspicion of terrorist financing.

Only the Al-Qaeda and IS groups are currently banned by law in Switzerland. However, a committee motion calling for a ban on the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah was also on the Council of States' agenda on Tuesday. A decision on this was initially pending.

SDA