515 PS 3: Niche small States in humanitarian diplomacy: Qatar’s positionality in the protection ecosystem

Abstract PS 3: Conflict and Peacebuilding - Sultan Barakat and Irene Zaddach, Auditorium A & B (Rectory), September 4, 2025, 09:00 - 10:00 The ongoing genocide in Gaza has resulted in unprecedented human and infrastructural loss, with over 63,500 people killed, 90% of the population displaced, and 80% of the built environment destroyed. Amid famine conditions, collapsed health systems, and environmental hazards, the humanitarian crisis is compounded by political paralysis and international inaction. Current proposals, such as the U.S.-backed “Gaza Riviera” initiative, raise ethical and legal concerns over refugee rights and forced displacement. This paper examines the reconstruction of Gaza not merely as a technical and financial process, but as a profoundly political and social endeavor requiring leadership rooted in local engagement, justice, and sovereignty. It highlights the failures of past reconstruction efforts—marked by external control, exclusion of Gaza-based actors, and reinforcement of the blockade—while arguing for a new approach centered on community welfare, values, and reconciliation. The study advocates for the establishment of a UN Transitional Authority for Gaza (UNTAG), supported by an international protection force and a Palestinian Interim Reconstruction Council, to ensure immediate ceasefire, accountability, and transparent rebuilding. Ultimately, the paper posits that genuine reconstruction demands ending occupation, addressing refugee rights under international law, and enabling Palestinian self-determination as prerequisites for sustainable recovery and peace.