What if … the world took action to end Israel’s war on Gaza next week?
Key Takeaways
- Al Jazeera is launching a series exploring hypothetical solutions to major global challenges, starting with the Israel-Gaza conflict.
- The immediate focus is on whether nations could cooperate to force an Israeli withdrawal if a US-backed deadline for Hamas fails.
- International pressure on Israel is increasing, evidenced by UN findings of genocide and famine, and several European nations recognizing Palestine.
- Expert Michael Lynk suggests the UN can legally intervene using the 1950 'Uniting for Peace Resolution' as a precedent.
- A UN intervention force could potentially be dispatched to Gaza to enforce humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and interim governance.
Al Jazeera is beginning a series exploring major global challenges with the question, 'What if...', focusing on the possibility of international action to end the war in Gaza should a US-backed deal fail. The context involves a deadline set by President Trump for Hamas, though critics are skeptical of any deal stopping Israel given its ongoing military actions in Lebanon and the West Bank, which have decimated Gaza and killed over 66,000 Palestinians. International condemnation is mounting, with a UN commission calling the war genocidal, the EU proposing trade concession suspensions for Israel, and a UN-backed body concluding Israel inflicted a man-made famine. Furthermore, several key allies, including France, the UK, and Canada, recognized Palestine in September, following earlier recognitions by Norway, Spain, and Ireland, indicating a shift in diplomatic posture. In response to the question of whether these nations could force an Israeli withdrawal without US backing, experts were consulted, with Michael Lynk suggesting the UN offers the most viable path. Lynk argues that Israel is violating the UN Charter, the Genocide Convention, and the Rome Statute, creating a legal obligation for states to intervene. He points to the 1950 'Uniting for Peace Resolution' as a precedent that could grant the UN General Assembly authority to dispatch a force to Gaza to secure humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and interim governance, bypassing Security Council vetoes.
