Amnesty called on Switzerland to lobby the United Nations Security Council for an arms embargo against Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian groups as well as sanctions against those responsible for atrocities by the end of the year.
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Non-governmental organisation Amnesty International is calling on Switzerland to exert public pressure on Israel to stop the “genocide” of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.
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Among other things, Switzerland should summon the Israeli ambassador and publicly demand an end to the violence.
There is “sufficient evidence” that Israel is committing “genocide” against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, Amnesty International announced on Thursday.
The organisation referred to a report it had written itself and called on Switzerland to lobby the United Nations Security Council for an arms embargo against Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian groups and for sanctions against those responsible for atrocities by the end of the year.
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The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland should start “structural investigations” to secure evidence according to Amnesty.
Switzerland should also consider a ban on trade with settlements or companies linked to the occupation of Palestinian territories. Amnesty also called for the resumption of humanitarian aid via the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Israel has denied accusations of genocide in the past. The country has invoked its right to self-defense after terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023 killing around 1,200 people. Since then, Israel has been waging war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Palestinian civilians have fallen victim to the fighting, for which Israel has been criticised.
A genocide lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. In May, the chief prosecutor of the ICC also applied for arrest warrants against Israel’s head of government Benjamin Netanyahu, among others.
Translated from German by DeepL/jdp
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