Switzerland bans Hezbollah a week after it banned Hamas

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Dec 2024 16:12
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Switzerland’s parliament has approved a ban on Hezbollah, aligning with its recent decision to outlaw Hamas, signaling a shift away from its traditional neutrality.

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A man carries a Hezbollah flag as he walks on the rubble of his destroyed apartment following an Israeli occupation airstrike in Lebanon, on November 1, 2024. (AP)

Switzerland has taken another significant step away from its traditional neutrality, with its parliament approving a proposal to classify Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization".

This decision follows Switzerland’s move, last week, to outlaw Palestinian Resistance group Hamas from holding any form of activity within the country.

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States and many other nations, while they are, in parallel considered Resistance groups by many others.

While Switzerland had previously maintained a neutral stance on such matters, its position shifted after Operation al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, and after Switzerland had foregone neutrality vis-a-vis Russia months earlier as well.

The Swiss government, however, has tried to downplay the significance of these bans, stating that they do not constitute "a paradigm shift in the generally cautious practice of banning organizations."

With the parliamentary decision now made, the Swiss Federal Council will draft legislation to enforce the ban on Hezbollah.