ICSPR We Warn Against the Escalation of Settlement Expansion, the Targeting of UNRWA, and the “New Gaza” Plans Aimed at Forcibly Displacing Palestinians and Eliminating the Palestinian Cause
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Press Release
ICSPR We Warn Against the Escalation of Settlement Expansion, the Targeting of UNRWA, and the “New Gaza” Plans Aimed at Forcibly Displacing Palestinians and Eliminating the Palestinian Cause
The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (ICSPR) expresses its profound concern and strong condemnation of the dangerous escalation in Israeli policies aimed at imposing new colonial realities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, alongside continued attempts to undermine the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the promotion of the so-called “New Gaza Plan” through what is known as the “Peace Council.” These developments constitute a dangerous attempt to circumvent United Nations resolutions and to re-engineer the political and demographic reality in the Gaza Strip and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
ICSPR affirms that plans aimed at expanding Israeli settlements and seizing dozens of strategic locations throughout the occupied West Bank represent a continuation of Israel’s policy of annexation and settler colonialism. These actions constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, and a flagrant breach of United Nations resolutions, foremost among them UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which reaffirmed that all Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, are illegal. Such policies seek to undermine the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent State.
ICSPR further warns against proposals promoted by the so-called “Peace Council” advocating the exclusion of UNRWA from the future of the Gaza Strip under the slogan of “transitioning from relief to development.” The Commission stresses that these proposals are not intended to improve humanitarian assistance but rather constitute a political project aimed at liquidating the Palestinian refugee issue, weakening UNRWA’s legal mandate, and evading the international community’s historical and legal responsibility for the displacement of the Palestinian people, thereby undermining their inalienable rights, foremost among them the right of return and compensation in accordance with United Nations resolutions, particularly General Assembly Resolution 194.
The Commission emphasizes that UNRWA was established by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, and that its mandate cannot be terminated, amended, or replaced except by a decision of the General Assembly itself. Any attempt to bypass the Agency or establish political or security alternatives in its place constitutes a violation of the international legal order and an attack on one of the most significant legal and political testimonies to the continued existence of the Palestinian refugee issue.
ICSPR also warns of the serious implications of the so-called “New Gaza Plan,” reportedly promoted through the “Peace Council,” which proposes establishing designated zones or “humanitarian shelters” under military and security control, where Palestinians would be concentrated under the supervision of a multinational force while Israel maintains effective control over the remainder of the Gaza Strip. The Commission considers these proposals to be an attempt to circumvent international legitimacy, including United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2803, bypass United Nations institutions—particularly UNRWA—and impose political and security arrangements that lack any legal basis.
The Commission stresses that any plan aimed at confining civilians to closed areas, subjecting them to security procedures as a condition for receiving humanitarian assistance, or forcibly transferring them within or outside the Gaza Strip constitutes a war crime and a grave violation of international humanitarian law. Such measures may amount to the crimes of forcible transfer and persecution and could contribute to completing the legal elements of the crime of genocide, particularly where they involve depriving civilians of the necessities of life or deliberately imposing conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction, in whole or in part.
As Israel’s genocidal war against the Gaza Strip continues for more than one thousand days, resulting in the killing, injury, disappearance, and death of nearly 300,000 people, in addition to widespread starvation, forced displacement, and the systematic destruction of cities, refugee camps, infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and displacement shelters, Israel—backed by the United States—continues its efforts to undermine UNRWA, despite the Agency remaining the primary lifeline for millions of Palestine refugees and displaced persons. UNRWA plays an indispensable role in providing humanitarian relief, healthcare, education, and protection. Targeting the Agency at this critical moment cannot be separated from broader efforts to impose new political and demographic realities and eliminate the Palestinian refugee issue.
ICSPR further affirms that the so-called “Peace Council” possesses neither legal status nor any mandate from the United Nations authorizing it to administer the Gaza Strip, determine the future of Palestinian refugees, or establish alternatives to UN institutions. Any involvement by this body in implementing or promoting plans aimed at reshaping Gaza’s demographic reality, facilitating forcible displacement, or circumventing United Nations resolutions may give rise to legal responsibility for aiding, assisting, or being complicit in serious violations of international law.
The Commission emphasizes that colonial settlement expansion, the ongoing genocide, attacks against UNRWA, and projects of forcible displacement are not separate issues but interconnected components of a single project aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause, confiscating Palestinian land, displacing the population, erasing the rights of Palestinian refugees, and denying the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
Accordingly, ICSPR calls upon the United Nations, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, and regional and international organizations to take urgent action to halt Israel’s war crimes, genocide, and colonial settlement activities; reject all plans aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians or replacing UNRWA; ensure the continuation of the Agency’s mandate and secure adequate funding for its operations; impose sanctions and ensure international accountability for Israel and all parties responsible for serious violations of international law; and implement United Nations resolutions, as well as the advisory opinions and provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice, in order to guarantee the protection of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (ICSPR)
