Plans to bring injured Gaza children to Switzerland

Federal Palace, Bern - file image

Switzerland is preparing a humanitarian mission: the federal administration wants to bring 20 seriously ill or injured children from Gaza to Swiss hospitals.

Each child could be accompanied by up to four relatives, meaning up to 100 people might be admitted. Several departments and cantons have already coordinated logistics, with accommodation secured.

But while humanitarian aid is the priority, the Swiss People’s Party is lashing out.

It says terrorists could slip in among family members and demands that help be provided only on the ground. 

Their criticism has sparked backlash - many see it as cold, alarmist rhetoric against vulnerable children. 

Negotiations with Israel are still ongoing.

More from Bitesize News

  • Geneva could foot the G7 bill

    Geneva fears it will be left with the security bill from a G7 summit just across the border in Évian, according to 24 heures.

  • US NGO discovers Swiss child abuse cases

    Switzerland relies too heavily on an American NGO to detect child sexual abuse online, raising questions about the country's ability to protect children on its own.

  • French singer banned by Paleo

    The Paléo Festival in Nyon says it will no longer invite French singer Patrick Bruel, after a former volunteer accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

  • Cars going uninspected

    The cantons are struggling to keep up with mandatory vehicle inspections, leaving more than 550,000 checks overdue nationwide.

  • War may lead to rent rises

    Rents may rise again, says the bank Raiffeisen.

  • Not a heatwave, yet

    Summer has arrived, with temperatures climbing past 30 over the long weekend. Basel reached 31 and Sion hit 32.4, but MeteoSwiss, says this does not yet count as an official heatwave.

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play