Following long months of bureaucratic processes, the Hamas ban in Switzerland finally came into effect last week.

Axar.az, citing JP, reports that the bill was drawn up by the Swiss government at the request of parliament, following the October 7 attacks.

The bill targets both Hamas itself and any organizations that serve as a cover for the Islamist terrorist group, as well as organizations and groups that “act on its orders or in its name,” and entails up to 20 years in prison for such activities.

Reflecting the decentralized nature of Swiss politics, the process was lengthy and bureaucratically complex, starting with a decision from the Swiss Federal Council that was made as early as October 11, 2023, passing through a long debate and legislation process which ended last December, and culminating with the current five year ban, which came into effect last week, according to the Jerusalem Post.