By Ahmed Asmar
Hamas on Thursday slammed a decision by the Swiss government to ban the group as a "reprehensible bias" toward Israel.
The Palestinian resistance group said it "deeply regrets that the decision to ban the movement (Hamas) has come from a country (Switzerland) historically known for its neutral positions and defense of international humanitarian law."
It described the decision as "a reprehensible bias against our Palestinian people, their just cause and legitimate resistance to the occupation amid the ongoing genocide waged by the Zionist occupation in Gaza."
The group urged the Swiss government "to backtrack on this unfair and unjustified decision, side with justice and endorse our Palestinian people’s just struggle to end the occupation."
Switzerland said Wednesday it would enforce a law banning Hamas and affiliated groups beginning May 15, claiming it is to prevent the Palestinian group from using Switzerland as a haven by making entry bans or expulsions easier to arrange or using the country as a financial hub for its activities.
The Swiss government said the law, which was approved by parliament in December in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, gives authorities "the necessary tools to take action against Hamas activities or support for the organisation in Switzerland."
At least 52,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since late 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.