Switzerland announces concrete measures to support US Middle East ceasefire

GENEVA

Switzerland on Wednesday announced a number of concrete measures to support the US Middle East ceasefire plan.

Switzerland is making its technical expertise in the areas of international humanitarian law, disarmament, and mine clearance available and is expanding its humanitarian aid in Gaza, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release. It also wants to strengthen the Palestinian Authority.

The ministry is providing an additional 20 million Swiss francs ($24.7 million) for implementation of these measures.

The ministry also said it is temporarily sending four experts from Switzerland to the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, Israel, which is coordinating implementation of the plan.

These experts will contribute their expertise in the areas of humanitarian aid, international humanitarian law, disarmament, and mine clearance.

“Switzerland is thus playing an active role in implementing the plan and contributing recognized technical expertise,” said the ministry.

Ten million Swiss francs ($12.3 million) are to be made available immediately for humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Specifically, the money will be channeled in the form of contributions to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society via the Swiss Red Cross.

A further 10 million Swiss francs will be used to promote dialogue and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, and above all to foster interfaith dialogue.

According to the ministry, these measures are in line with Switzerland's long-standing humanitarian commitment in the Middle East and supplement the 127 million Swiss francs ($156.8 million) that, according to the ministry, have been made available since Oct. 7, 2023, when Israel’s offensive on Gaza began.