Parliament-mandated ban on Hezbollah takes shape

The duration of the Hamas ban, which has been in effect in Switzerland for one year, is to be extended from five to ten years. In addition, the Federal Council has submitted a draft bill to extend the ban to the Lebanese Hezbollah—at the request of Parliament.

Parliament had passed the Hamas ban at the end of 2024. At that time, both chambers also voted in favor of banning the Lebanese Hezbollah. The implementation of the corresponding motion is now taking shape. Interested parties have until October 5 to submit comments, as the Federal Council announced on Friday.

Regarding the Hamas ban, the Federal Council had consistently emphasized that this should remain an exception. It justified this by citing the unprecedented nature of the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023. A shift toward a culture of bans, involving the creation of actual lists of terrorist organizations, risks weakening Switzerland’s role as a mediator in armed conflicts.

However, the federal government was required to implement Parliament’s mandate to ban Hezbollah.