Switzerland cancels Geneva Convention

7/3/2025 6:26

Switzerland has cancelled a

conference on the application of the Geneva Conventions to the

occupied Palestinian territories for want of participants, four

diplomatic sources told Reuters on Thursday, after some

countries expressed dissatisfaction.



The country had invited 196 parties to the conventions to

participate in the March 7 conference in Geneva on the situation

of civilians living in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem,

but then told them the gathering had been cancelled.



The conference was set to address the Fourth Geneva

Convention, part of a series of international treaties agreed in

1949 after World War Two, which defines humanitarian protections

for civilians living in areas of armed conflict or occupation.



The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva,

Ibrahim Khraishi, told Reuters earlier that his delegation did

not plan to attend the event, criticising a draft document

circulated among participants.



"We want the international community to take concrete

measures and this fell short of expectations," he told Reuters,

saying such measures could include economic or diplomatic steps

against Israel. "What we want is for the Geneva Conventions to

be implemented."



A member of The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said

that the group had also planned to miss the event, saying the

document "did not reflect the gravity of the situation".



Israel, which has devastated Gaza in a war with Palestinian

militant group Hamas and has been expanding settlements in the

West Bank, stirring fears of annexation, did not immediately

respond to a request for comment.



It has also criticised the Swiss conference, calling it

"part of the legal warfare against Israel". Diplomats from

Western states that back Israel have also privately expressed

concerns about the meeting.