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Why does Switzerland refuse to call Hamas a ‘terrorist’ organisation?

While the Swiss government has condemned Saturday’s attack on Israel, it has abstained from referring to the Palestinian militant group responsible for the act as 'terrorist.’ Why is this?

Published: 10 October 2023 16:06 CEST
Why does Switzerland refuse to call Hamas a 'terrorist’ organisation?
Switzerland will follow the UN's lead (here UN headquarters in Geneva). Photo by Meizhi Lang on Unsplash

After Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Switzerland’s Foreign Affairs Ministry swiftly condemned the attack and the “indiscriminate firing of rockets” into Israeli territory.

However, despite its strongly worded statement, the government has not given in to calls coming from various groups and political parties to classify Hamas a terrorist organisation.

Even though the United States and the European Union — whose lead Switzerland usually follows — have designated Hamas members as terrorists, Switzerland has not budged so far.

Peaceful negotiations

The country’s neutrality is only a small part of the reason behind this lack of action.

On one hand, Swiss authorities attach enormous importance to their role as mediators in international conflicts, which, they say, requires the ability to have a non-confrontational dialogue with all parties involved in a conflict.

So, without directly saying so, it is clear that Switzerland doesn’t want to antagonise Hamas in a way that would prevent this group from ever engaging in peaceful negotiations.

On the other hand, the Federal Council has long stated that it will classify organisations as terrorist, and subsequently ban them, only if the United Nations does so first.

To date the UN has not done so regarding Hamas.

As a result, only Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS), and a few related groups are currently banned in Switzerland.

However, faced with the mounting pressure from Switzerland’s human rights organisations and most politicians, the Federal Council will discuss this issue on Wednesday, October 11th.

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POLITICS

Swiss earmark 10 million francs for UNRWA in Gaza

Switzerland is proposing to give $11 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, specifically for tackling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza triggered by the war between Israel and Hamas.

Published: 8 May 2024 14:18 CEST
Swiss earmark 10 million francs for UNRWA in Gaza

The government’s proposal, announced Wednesday after weeks of procrastination, represents half of the amount which was initially set to be paid to the UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency) in 2024.

“Switzerland’s 10 million Swiss francs contribution to UNRWA will be restricted to Gaza and will cover the most pressing basic needs, such as food, water, shelter, basic healthcare and logistics,” a government statement said.

Switzerland “is fully aware of the critical nature of this situation and recognises the urgent need for action”.

UNRWA, which coordinates nearly all aid to Gaza, has been in crisis since January when Israel accused about a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees of being involved in the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel.

This led many donor nations, including the United States and Switzerland, to abruptly suspend funding to the agency, threatening its efforts to deliver desperately-needed aid in Gaza, where the UN has warned of an impending famine.

An independent review group of UNRWA, led by French former foreign minister Catherine Colonna, found some “neutrality-related issues” but said Israel had yet to provide evidence for its chief allegations.

In making its decision, the Swiss government said it “drew on the analysis of the Colonna report and coordination with other donors”.

The government’s decision must still be submitted to parliament’s foreign affairs committees for consultation.

On April 30th, the Swiss head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said that of the $450 million in funding that had been frozen by donors, $267 million was still suspended, the bulk of it by Washington.

Gaza’s bloodiest-ever war began following Hamas’s unprecedented October 7th attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has conducted a retaliatory offensive that has killed more than 34,800 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Switzerland “reiterates its call for a humanitarian ceasefire, unhindered access for emergency aid to Gaza, compliance with international humanitarian law, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” the government said.

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