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Bern office of Israeli defence firm Elbit damaged

drone
An unknown female suspect allegedly caused damage to Elbit offices worth tens of thousands of francs. Keystone-SDA

The Bern office of the Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems was damaged last Friday. The Bern Cantonal Police confirmed a report in the newspaper Le Courrier to the Keystone-SDA news agency.

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According to initial police findings, an unknown female suspect gained access to Elbit’s office premises shortly after 8 pm and caused property damage amounting to tens of thousands of francs.

The perpetrator damaged the company’s entrance door and equipment, the police added. No fire broke out, and there were no injuries. In addition to the police, the fire department was also on the scene.

A video posted online by activists is circulating, purportedly showing the incident. It shows a person first triggering the fire alarm and then smashing a glass door labeled Elbit Systems Switzerland with several blows from a hammer.

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A complaint has been filed, the police added. They have launched an investigation.

Elbit supplies the Swiss Army with drones, among other things. Pro-Palestinian groups strongly criticise this and have recently expressed their discontent on several occasions, such as at an unauthorised Gaza demonstration in Bern in May 2025. At the end of 2024, the entrance to the office building where Elbit Systems has its headquarters was spray-painted.

Translated from German by AI/jdp

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