The Swiss judiciary is investigating possible financing of Hamas from Switzerland despite the country not classifying the group as a terrorist organisation, its attorney general has said.

According to AFP, the investigation was opened “several weeks” before the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, Stefan Blaettler said on Swiss public radio station SRF without revealing further details.

The attorney general’s office later told AFP that the investigation was launched “on suspicion of financing Hamas from Switzerland”.

The investigation is expected to be laborious because Switzerland has not placed bans on Hamas. Swiss President Ignazio Cassis argued after the October 7 attacks that the government can only ban organisations that are also banned by the United Nations.