ICSPR Conducts Field Visit and Awareness Workshop to Enhance Access to Alternative Justice at Yarmouk Stadium Camp

Date: 30 September 2026

Press Release

ICSPR Conducts Field Visit and Awareness Workshop to Enhance Access to Alternative Justice at Yarmouk Stadium Camp

The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR), through the “Enhancing Access to Alternative Justice in the Gaza Strip” Initiative, conducted a field visit to the administration of Yarmouk Stadium Camp and a legal awareness workshop for 30 women on Thursday, 24 September 2026. The activities aimed to raise awareness of dispute-resolution methods, examine the experience of the camp’s Community Reconciliation Committee, and support local efforts to protect rights and promote civil peace amid war and displacement.

The Initiative’s team, comprising Coordinator Ms Rida Al-Muzaini, lawyer Omar Shaqoura, and Ms Iman Sabra, participated in the visit. The team met with Camp Director Mr Mahmoud Al-Jarousha and Deputy Camp Director Mr Wissam Abboud, who oversees the Reconciliation Committee. The meeting addressed the reasons for establishing the Committee, the selection of its members, the types of cases it handles, and opportunities for cooperation and coordination with bodies involved in reconciliation and dispute resolution.

Abboud explained that the Reconciliation Committee was established in response to increasing disputes and problems within the camp, amid the complex psychological and social pressures experienced by residents. He noted that many disputes begin as minor disagreements that can be contained through early intervention, stressing the importance of a community-based body capable of responding promptly and preventing problems from escalating.

He explained that the selection of local community leaders and reconciliation figures serving on the Committee was based on representation from within the camp. Their familiarity with its social conditions, residents’ needs, and relationships helps them understand the causes of disputes and address them in a manner sensitive to the local community’s circumstances.

The meeting also examined the types of cases handled by the Committee, including family disputes and personal-status matters, civil and financial disputes, incidents of assault, and community disagreements. Abboud reported that problems within the camp had declined noticeably since the Committee began operating in early August, according to the camp administration’s observations.

The two sides also discussed prospects for cooperation with reconciliation committees in neighbouring camps and possibilities for coordination with the official Tribal Reconciliation Committee in the Gaza Strip, with the aim of strengthening coordinated community efforts to contain disputes and prevent their escalation.

Al-Muzaini commended the camp administration’s efforts to establish a Community Reconciliation Committee. She stressed that addressing disagreements at an early stage helps reduce disorder, foster understanding among residents, and support efforts to promote civil peace and social cohesion in the Gaza Strip.

As part of the Initiative’s awareness-raising activities, lawyer Omar Shaqoura delivered a legal workshop at Yarmouk Stadium Camp in the Al-Rimal area of Gaza City, with the participation of 30 women and the attendance of Initiative Coordinator Ms Rida Al-Muzaini and Initiative member Ms Iman Sabra.

The workshop addressed alternative dispute-resolution methods and their importance, covering mediation, arbitration, negotiation, and customary reconciliation. It explained how these methods can help address disagreements and provide pathways for resolving them outside conventional litigation.

During the workshop, Shaqoura stressed that alternative justice mechanisms do not replace the role of courts, which remain the primary authority for resolving disputes. Participants were also introduced to the bodies they can approach to access alternative justice services and guidance on dispute resolution.

The Initiative’s activities at Yarmouk Stadium Camp combined an examination of community reconciliation practices with legal awareness-raising for women. This linked local dispute-resolution efforts with greater awareness among residents of available pathways to justice, while supporting dialogue and the containment of disagreements in displacement and shelter settings.

The visit and workshop were conducted under the “Enhancing Access to Alternative Justice in the Gaza Strip” Initiative, with support from the International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR), in partnership with The Shaikh Group (TSG).