Preparatory material | From Gaza to the West Bank: The Expanding Genocide, the Eradication of Palestine Cause, and the Defiance of International Justice: What Is Happening, Where Does the International Community Stand, and What Protection Measures Are Needed?

Jurists for Palestine Forum – Season 3 – Panel Discussion (2)

This summary was prepared by: Assalah Mansour, Shireen Mikkawi and Tareq Ramahi

Reviewed by Nourhan Fahmy

This document presents a concise summary of five research articles examining key issues surrounding the Palestinian refugee crisis, the role of UNRWA, and the prospects for peace and stability in Gaza and Palestine. The articles explore the consequences of the Israeli UNRWA ban, the agency’s financial sustainability, and the need for a shift in its operational approach. They also assess the future role of the UN in Palestine, advocate for the deployment of unarmed peacekeepers, and analyze the implications of multinational peacekeeping forces in the region.

Summary:

• The first article we summarised was written by Jørgen Jensehaugen, Kjersti G. Berg , and Lex Takkenberg. It examines the consequences of Israel’s ban on UNRWA, which will disrupt essential humanitarian services across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. It highlights the devastating impact on education, healthcare, and aid distribution, particularly in Gaza, where UNRWA supports millions of Palestinians. The ban will also facilitate Israelization efforts in East Jerusalem and strain the Palestinian Authority, which lacks the capacity to absorb UNRWA’s services. The international humanitarian community faces a dilemma -either plan for alternatives and risk legitimizing the ban or refuse and exacerbate Palestinian suffering. The authors propose a two-track approach: ensuring aid continuity while mounting legal and diplomatic pressure against Israel’s actions.
• The paper by Albanese and Takkenberg examines UNRWA’s financial instability and its limited role in securing durable solutions for Palestinian refugees. It calls for a paradigm shift, advocating a rights-based approach that prioritises return, restitution, and compensation under international law. The authors propose leveraging the New York Declaration and Global Compact on Refugees to create a Comprehensive Response Framework (CRF-PR) under UN leadership. They also recommend restructuring UNRWA’s mandate to focus on legal protection and durable solutions while shifting service provision to local authorities. The paper concludes that these reforms would strengthen refugee rights and ensure UNRWA’s long-term sustainability.
• Eugene Chen’s article examines potential UN roles in post-war Gaza, including peacekeeping, trusteeship, and interim administration. It highlights the challenges of implementing these options due to political opposition, security risks, and the need for Israeli and Palestinian consent. While a UN-administered mission could be more feasible than a formal trusteeship, any intervention must be tied to a broader political resolution. The article stresses that peace cannot be imposed solely through military or international governance mechanisms. Instead, diplomatic efforts must drive any sustainable solution.
• Mel Duncan’s article argues that military peacekeeping is an ineffective and top-down approach to protecting civilians in conflict zones like Palestine. Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) offers a proven alternative by working directly with local communities, deterring violence, and supporting grassroots peace efforts.
• Armed peacekeepers often lack local engagement and fail to provide lasting security, as seen in the DRC and South Sudan. With growing international pressure on Israel and diplomatic shifts, now is the time to prepare for a large-scale UCP deployment. If not, military interventions will once again dominate the response, sidelining more effective, community-driven solutions.
• Finally, Eric David and Ola Engdahl stipulates, in their paper, that the involvement of multinational peacekeeping forces further complicates the legal landscape. The classification of conflicts—whether international (IAC) or non-international (NIAC)—depends not only on the mandate of peacekeeping missions but also on the facts on the ground. This classification determines the applicability of international humanitarian law (IHL) and the legal responsibilities of the parties involved.
• Ultimately, the articles underscore the need for a rights-based approach to resolving the Palestinian issue, ensuring accountability under international law while safeguarding humanitarian assistance. Without concrete international action, the situation will continue to deteriorate, perpetuating the suffering of millions of Palestinians.

Read the full preparatory material through this link. Click