Switzerland refuses to ban Hezbollah

The Swiss Federal Council, in a response published Thursday, stated that the conditions for a Hezbollah ban had not been met. Under the country's intelligence law, a group can only be banned as a security threat if the United Nations imposes sanctions or an official ban, a condition that has not been met for Hezbollah.

While Switzerland banned Hamas in response to the "unprecedented terrorist attacks" of October 7, 2023, it emphasized that such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and only for "extremely serious reasons." The government stated that it was not appropriate to create a new law specifically to ban Hezbollah.

The parliamentary security committee had called Hezbollah "a radical Islamic terrorist organization" responsible for numerous acts of violence and human rights violations, suggesting it posed a threat to regional stability. The committee had requested the government to impose a comprehensive ban on Hezbollah.

The Swiss parliament will review the government's stance during its upcoming session from December 2 to 20, where it will also vote on a law to ban Hamas, which includes a five-year ban.

This decision came as a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah largely held for a second day, following the end of the war in the North that escalated after Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th 2023.