VSPSMUN'24

VISION VALOUR VIGILANCE

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VSPS MODEL UNITED NATIONS

UNITED NATION SECURITY
COUNCIL

CHAIRPERSON
MANVEER SONI

VICE-CHAIRPERSON
NEO DEB GHOSH
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AGENDA
Deliberating
E L I B E R A T I N G O V E R T Hupon the
E PRESENC E O F Fimpact
OREIGN MILITARY

of Middle Eastern complexities

BASE SOVERIGN STATES

upon the regional stability and

global security.
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LETTER FROM THE

EXECUTIVE BOARD
Dear Delegates, As the Executive Board of the United Nations Security
Council, we extend our warmest welcome to all delegates participating
in this conference. We are honored to have you join us in deliberating
upon the impactful agenda of discussing the conflicts in the Middle
East and their implications on regional stability and global security.It
is with great enthusiasm that we present to you the Study Guide
crafted meticulously by our team. This comprehensive document
serves as a foundational resource to aid your understanding of the
complexities surrounding the conflicts in
the Middle East. We have endeavored to provide a detailed analysis of
the Israel-Palestine conflict, recognizing its significance as a central
issue in the region. However, we emphasize that this guide is not
exhaustive and is intended to be a starting point for your research
endeavors. We wish to underscore the importance of independent
research and critical analysis during your preparation for the
conference. While the study guide offers valuable insights, we
encourage delegates to delve deeper into the complexities of the
Middle East, exploring additional conflicts, historical contexts, and
contemporary developments. It is imperative that each delegate takes
the initiative to broaden their understanding and perspective on the
multifaceted issues at hand. Furthermore, while the Israel-Palestine
conflict has been a primary focus of this study guide, we reaffirm that
delegates have the freedom to explore other
conflicts and issues prevalent in the Middle East. Your contributions
to the discussions are essential in fostering a holistic and
comprehensive dialogue within the committee. Should you have any
questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to
us. Wishing you fruitful research and productive deliberations!
Warm regards,
Manveer Soni (Chairperson):
manveersoni16@gmail.com
Neo Deb Ghosh (Vice-Chairperson):
neoghosh007@gmail.com
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WHAT IS UN?
Born from the ashes of World War II, the United Nations
(UN) emerged in 1945 with a lofty but vital mission: to
stitch togethea more peaceful and cooperative world.
Today, this global body boasts 193 member states. It
functions as a giant talking table where nations can hash
out their differences, settle disputes, and tackle shared
challenges. The UN's agenda is vast, encompassing
everything from upholding human rights and delivering
life- saving aid to promoting sustainable development
and protecting the environment. Think of it as a central
hub for global cooperation, where a network of
specialized agencies, programs, and projects all work
together to address the world's most pressing issues The
UN Security Council Forged in the crucible of World War
II, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) stands as
the world's premier body tasked with maintaining
international peace and security. Established in 1945 as
a central pillar of the UN, this elite council of 15 member
states holds the unique power to authorize military
action, impose sanctions, and set the course for
international responses to threats to global peace.
Unlike other UN bodies, the UNSC's resolutions are
binding on all member states, making it a potent force in
shaping global security dynamics. But the UNSC's power
goes beyond just enforcement. It serves as a crucial
forum for dialogue and negotiation, where nations can
come together to address conflicts, prevent crises, and
foster stability across the international landscape.
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COMMITTEE INTRODUCTION
The Middle East, a region marred by complexity and strife, grapples with a multitude
of pressing issues that reverberate both regionally and globally. Among the major
complexities are longstanding rivalries, such as the Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry, which
have fueled proxy conflicts and sectarian tensions across the region. Additionally,
the Yemeni Civil War, characterized by a myriad of factions and external
interventions,
has plunged the country into a dire humanitarian crisis. Failed states and internal
strife in countries like Libya, Iraq, and Lebanon contribute to regional instability,
exacerbating socio-economic challenges and hindering progress towards peace and
development. The persistent threat of terrorism and extremism, exemplified by
groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, perpetuates fear and insecurity, posing significant
security challenges to the region. Moreover, the Middle East grapples with refugee
and displacement criseswater scarcity, authoritarianism, and human rights
violations, all of which compound existing challenges and exacerbate tensions.
Within this landscape
of complexities, the Syrian Civil War has been a significant factor in
regional instability, though it will not be the focus of this guide. The conflict's
implications have been profound, influencing neighboring countries and
exacerbating humanitarian crises. However, for the purposes of this guide, the
primary attention
will be directed towards the Israel-Palestine conflict, a defining issue in the Middle
East that captures global attention and evokes strong emotions. Rooted in decades
of historical grievances and unresolved disputes, this conflict remains a primary
source of tension and instability in the region. The protracted nature of the conflict,
characterized by territorial disputes, competing national narratives, and cycles of
violence,
underscores its significance in discussions of Middle Eastern complexities.
As such, while recognizing the broader context of regional challenges, this guide will
primarily focus on the IsraelPalestine conflict, providing an overview of its historical
background, key issues, and potential avenues for resolution. Through informed
analysis and diplomatic dialogue, delegates are invited to engage critically with the
complexities of the Middle East, with particular attention to the Israel-Palestine
conflict. While acknowledging the importance of other regional issues, delegates are
encouraged to explore the nuances of the Israel-Palestine conflict and its
implications for regional stability and global security. By fostering dialogue and
understanding, delegates have
the opportunity to contribute to efforts aimed at promoting peace, justice, and
reconciliation in the Middle East and beyond. We request delegates to clearly note:
that Hamas and the Palestinian governments are not equivalent. Hamas has control
over the Gaza Strip but is not the official Palestinian Government. The
PNA government is, for all legal intents and purposes, the sole official Palestinian
government, and has control over major parts of the West Bank. Brief Historical
timeline of the Israel-Palestine conflict
• Late 19th Century: The Zionist movement, led by Theodor Herzl, emerges in
response to rising anti-Semitism in
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Europe. Herzl advocates for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in

Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire.
• Early 20th Century: Jewish immigration to Palestine increases,
facilitated by various Zionist organizations. The influx of Jewish settlers
leads to tension with
the Arab population, who fear dispossession and displacement.
• 1917: The Balfour Declaration, issued by the British government,
expresses support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in
Palestine. However, it also stipulates that the rights of existing non-
Jewish communities in Palestine should be protected.
• 1920s-1930s: Tensions between Jewish and Arab communities in
Palestine escalate, fueled by competing nationalist aspirations and land
disputes. Arab riots and anti-Jewish violence erupt, prompting British
authorities to impose
restrictions on Jewish immigration.
• 1936-1939: The Arab Revolt breaks out in Palestine, fueled by Arab
grievances against British colonial rule and Jewish immigration. The
revolt is suppressed by British forces, but it leads to increased
animosity between Jewish and Arab communities.
• 1947: The United Nations proposes a partition plan for Palestine,
recommending the creation of separate Jewish and Arab states. Jewish
leaders accept the plan,
but Arab leaders reject it, leading to the outbreak of civil war. • 1948:
Israel declares independence, leading to the first Arab-Israeli war. Arab
states invade Israel, but the Israeli military successfully defends the
newly established state. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs
flee or are expelled from their homes during the conflict, leading to the
Palestinian refugee crisis.
• 1949-1967: Armistice agreements are signed between Israel and its
Arab neighbors, establishing temporary borders. Jordan annexes the
West Bank, and Egypt occupies the Gaza Strip. Palestinian refugees are
housed in refugee camps across the Middle East.
• 1967: The Six-Day War erupts as Israel launches preemptive strikes
against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Israeli forces capture the Sinai
Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West
Bank, and Golan Heights. The war marks a significant turning point in
the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, as Israel gains
 PAGE 7
CONTROL OF TERRITORIES INHABITED BY MILLIONS OF PALESTINIAN.

• 1967-1987: ISRAEL BEGINS CONSTRUCTING SETTLEMENTS IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, LEADING

TO FRICTION WITH THE PALESTINIAN POPULATION AND DRAWING INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION.
PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE
MOVEMENTS, SUCH AS THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO),
EMERGE, ADVOCATING FOR ARMED STRUGGLE AGAINST ISRAELI OCCUPATION.

• 1987-1993: THE FIRST INTIFADA ERUPTS IN THE OCCUPIED

TERRITORIESHARACTERIZED BY MASS PROTESTS, CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, AND ACTS
OF
VIOLENCE AGAINST ISRAELI SOLDIERS AND SETTLERS. THE UPRISING PROMPTS
INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION AND LEADS TO THE START OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

• 1993: THE OSLO ACCORDS ARE SIGNED BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PLO,
OUTLINING A FRAMEWORK FOR PALESTINIAN SELFGOVERNANCE IN PARTS OF THE
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. THE ACCORDS ESTABLISH THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
(PA) AND ENVISAGE A GRADUAL ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM THE WEST BANK AND
GAZA STRIP.

• 2000-2005: THE SECOND INTIFADA ERUPTS AFTER A VISIT BY ISRAELI

OPPOSITION LEADER ARIEL SHARON TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT IN JERUSALEM. THE
CONFLICT LEADS TO WIDESPREAD VIOLENCE, INCLUDING SUICIDE BOMBINGS
AND ISRAELI MILITARY OPERATIONS. PEACE NEGOTIATIONS STALL, AND THE
SITUATION DETERIORATES FURTHER.

• 2005: ISRAEL UNILATERALLY DISENGAGES FROM THE GAZA STRIP, EVACUATING SETTLEMENTS AND
WITHDRAWING MILITARY FORCES. HAMAS, AN ISLAMIST
MILITANT GROUP, GAINS CONTROL OF GAZA IN SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS,
FURTHER COMPLICATING THE ISRAELIPALESTINIAN CONFLICT. • 2006-2007:
FATAH-HAMAS TENSIONS ESCALATE, LEADING TO A BRIEF CIVIL WAR IN THE
GAZA STRIP. HAMAS EMERGES VICTORIOUS, CONSOLIDATING ITS CONTROL
OVER THE TERRITORY AND FURTHER ISOLATING THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY.

• 2008-2014: ISRAEL LAUNCHES MILITARY OFFENSIVES IN GAZA IN RESPONSE TO

ROCKET ATTACKS BY HAMAS. OPERATIONS SUCH AS CAST LEAD (2008-2009)
AND PROTECTIVE EDGE (2014) RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND
INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE IN GAZA. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CRITICIZE
ISRAEL FOR ALLEGED WAR CRIMES.

• 2017: THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES ITS RECOGNITION

OF JERUSALEM AS THE CAPITAL OF ISRAEL AND RELOCATES THE U.S. EMBASSY
FROM TEL AVIV TO JERUSALEM. THE DECISION SPARKS WIDESPREAD PROTESTS
AMONG PALESTINIANS AND DRAWS CONDEMNATION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY.

• 2021: TENSIONS FLARE UP IN JERUSALEM OVER THE THREATENED EVICTION OF PALESTINIAN FAMILIES
FROM THE SHEIKH JARRAH NEIGHBORHOOD AND ISRAELI POLICE RAIDS ON THE AL-AQSA MOSQUE
DURING RAMADAN. CLASHES ERUPT BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELI SECURITY FORCES,
LEADING TO A
SIGNIFICANT ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE. HAMAS FIRES ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL,
TRIGGERING ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES ON GAZA. THE CONFLICT RESULTS IN HUNDREDS
OF DEATHS, MOSTLY AMONG PALESTINIANS, AND DRAWS INTERNATIONAL CALLS
FOR DE-ESCALATION AND A CEASEFIRE.
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OCTOBER 7, 2023: IN A SURPRISE ATTACK, HAMAS MILITANTS

BREACH THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF ISRAEL, LAUNCHING A
COORDINATED ASSAULT ON SEVERAL TOWNS AND
COMMUNITIES. THE ATTACK RESULTS IN SIGNIFICANT CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES, WITH APPROXIMATELY 1,200 PEOPLE KILLED,
AND HUNDREDS MORE TAKEN HOSTAGE BY THE MILITANTS. IN
RESPONSE TO THE ATTACK, PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN
NETANYAHU DECLARES A STATE OF WAR, AUTHORIZING THE
ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES (IDF) TO CARRY OUT RETALIATORY
AIRSTRIKES ON HAMAS TARGETS IN THE GAZA STRIP.
ADDITIONALLY, A TOTAL SIEGE IS IMPOSED ON GAZA,
SEVERELY RESTRICTING THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND PEOPLE
IN AND OUT OF THE ENCLAVE.

OCTOBER 8, 2023: LEBANON'S HEZBOLLAH, A MILITANT

GROUP BASED IN SOUTHERN LEBANON AND BACKED BY IRAN,
JOINS THE CONFLICT BY LAUNCHING ROCKETS AND
ENGAGING IN CROSS-BORDER SHELLING TARGETING ISRAELI
TOWNS AND MILITARY POSITIONS ALONG THE NORTHERN
BORDER. IN RESPONSE, ISRAEL LAUNCHES COUNTER-STRIKES
AGAINST
HEZBOLLAH POSITIONS IN LEBANON, ESCALATING
THE CONFLICT ON MULTIPLE FRONTS.

OCTOBER 13, 2023:

CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF CIVILIANS IN GAZA CITY,
WHICH IS HOME TO OVER A MILLION PEOPLE, ISRAELI
FORCES ISSUE WARNINGSURGING RESIDENTS TO EVACUATE
THE AREA. THE
EVACUATION ORDER TRIGGERS A MASS EXODUS FROM THE
CITY, WITH THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS FLEEING THEIR
HOMES IN SEARCH OF SAFER AREAS, EXACERBATING THE
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN THE
REGION.

OCTOBER 17, 2023: TENSIONS ESCALATE FURTHER FOLLOWING AN

EXPLOSION AT AL-AHLI ALARABI BAPTIST HOSPITAL IN GAZA CITY.
WHILE PALESTINIANS CLAIM THAT THE BLAST WAS CAUSED
BY AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE, ISRAEL DENIES RESPONSIBILITY,
ASSERTING THAT IT WAS A RESULT OF A MISFIRED
PALESTINIAN ROCKET. THE INCIDENT PROMPTS OUTRAGE IN
THE ARAB WORLD AND DRAWS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION TO
THE PLIGHT OF CIVILIANS
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE.
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URGING RESIDENTS TO EVACUATE THE AREA. THE
EVACUATION ORDER TRIGGERS A MASS EXODUS FROM THE
CITY, WITH THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS FLEEING THEIR
HOMES IN SEARCH OF SAFER AREAS, EXACERBATING THE
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN THE REGION.

OCTOBER 17, 2023: TENSIONS ESCALATE FURTHER

FOLLOWING AN EXPLOSION AT AL-AHLI ALARABI BAPTIST
HOSPITAL IN GAZA CITY. WHILE PALESTINIANS CLAIM
THAT THE BLAST WAS CAUSED BY AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE,
ISRAEL DENIES RESPONSIBILITY, ASSERTING THAT IT WAS A
RESULT OF A MISFIRED PALESTINIAN ROCKET. THE
INCIDENT PROMPTS OUTRAGE IN THE ARAB WORLD AND
DRAWS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION TO THE PLIGHT OF
CIVILIANS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE.

OCTOBER 19, 2023: THE CONFLICT TAKES ON A REGIONAL DIMENSION AS

YEMEN'S HOUTHI REBELS, WHO ARE
ALIGNED WITH IRAN AND SHARE IDEOLOGICAL TIES WITH
HAMAS, LAUNCH MISSILES AND DRONES TOWARDS ISRAEL.
THE ATTACK, AIMED AT DEMONSTRATING SOLIDARITY
WITH GAZA, ADDS A NEW LAYER OF COMPLEXITY TO THE
CONFLICT AND UNDERSCORES THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDER
REGIONAL DESTABILIZATION.

OCTOBER 27, 2023: IN A SIGNIFICANT ESCALATION, ISRAEL LAUNCHES A

LARGE-SCALE GROUND OFFENSIVE INTO
GAZA, WITH THE STATED OBJECTIVES OF ROOTING OUT
HAMAS MILITANTS, DESTROYING THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE,
AND FREEING THE HOSTAGES HELD BY THE GROUP. THE
GROUND INCURSION LEADS TO INTENSE FIGHTING IN
URBAN AREAS, RESULTING IN CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES
AND FURTHER DISPLACEMENT OF CIVILIANS.

OCTOBER 31, 2023: THE ISRAELI MILITARY SUFFERS A SIGNIFICANT BLOW AS

FIFTEEN SOLDIERS ARE KILLED IN CLASHES WITH HAMAS FIGHTERS. THE HIGH
CASUALTY COUNT MARKS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST DAYS FOR ISRAELI FORCES
SINCE THE ONSET OF THE CONFLICT, RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT THE
ESCALATING HUMAN TOLL AND THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF ISRAEL'S MILITARY STRATEGY IN GAZA.
NOVEMBER 1, 2023: AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF ONGOING
HOSTILITIES, EFFORTS TO ALLEVIATE THE HUMANITARIAN
CRISIS IN GAZA BEGIN AS FOREIGN PASSPORT-HOLDERS
AND INDIVIDUALS REQUIRING URGENT MEDICAL
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ATTENTION ARE ALLOWED TO EVACUATE THROUGH THE

RAFAH BORDER CROSSING. HOWEVER, THE VAST MAJORITY
OF GAZA'S POPULATION REMAINS TRAPPED IN THE
CONFLICT ZONE, WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL
SERVICES AND SUPPLIES.

NOVEMBER 21, 2023: AMID MOUNTING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE AND

CONCERNS ABOUT THE DETERIORATING HUMANITARIAN SITUATION, ISRAEL
AND HAMAS AGREE TO A TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE, FACILITATED BY
MEDIATORS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THE CEASEFIRE,
THOUGH FRAGILE, PROVIDES A BRIEF RESPITE FROM THE VIOLENCE AND
ALLOWS FOR THE EXCHANGE OF HOSTAGES AND DETAINEES BETWEEN THE
TWO SIDES.

DECEMBER 1, 2023: THE FRAGILE CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES AS BOTH SIDES

ACCUSE EACH OTHER OF VIOLATING THE
TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT. THE BREAKDOWN OF THE
CEASEFIRE LEADS TO A SWIFT RESUMPTION OF
HOSTILITIES, PLUNGING GAZA BACK INTO A CYCLE OF
VIOLENCE AND UNCERTAINTY.

DECEMBER 2023: INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION OF

ISRAEL'S MILITARY CAMPAIGN INTENSIFIES, WITH CALLS FOR
GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESTRAINT IN THE USE OF
FORCE. THE UNITED STATES, ISRAEL'S CLOSEST ALLY,
EXPRESSES GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT THE
HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF THE CONFLICT AND CALLS FOR A
RENEWED FOCUS ON DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE
A LASTING CEASEFIRE AND ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING
GRIEVANCES FUELING THE VIOLENCE.

JANUARY 1, 2024: AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF ONGOING VIOLENCE AND

DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO DE-ESCALATE THE CONFLICT, ISRAEL ANNOUNCES
PLANS TO GRADUALLY WITHDRAW ITS TROOPS FROM GAZA, SIGNALING A
SHIFT IN ITS MILITARY STRATEGY TOWARDS A MORE TARGETED APPROACH
AIMED AT DISMANTLING HAMAS INFRASTRUCTURE AND REDUCING CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES. CONCURRENTLY, AIRSTRIKES INTENSIFY IN YEMEN AS PART OF
RETALIATORY MEASURES AGAINST HOUTHI ATTACKS ON RED SEA SHIPPING
LANES, FURTHER COMPLICATING THE REGIONAL DYNAMICS OF THE
PAGE 10

Hamas’s War Crimes in Israel

THE RECENT ATTACKS BY HAMAS OBVIOUSLY VIOLATE IHL.
HAMASLAUNCHED THOUSANDS OF MISSILES INTO ISRAEL AT
THE START OF THE EPISODE, FAILING TO DIFFERENTIATE
BETWEEN MILITARY AND CIVILIAN TARGETS OR LESSEN THE
DAMAGE TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS. THE ONGOING ROCKET
FIRE HAS SLAUGHTERED CIVILIANS AND DAMAGED HOMES AND
HOSPITALS. RANDOM ATTACKS THAT LACK
SPECIFICITY VIOLATE IHL AND CONSTITUTE WAR CRIMES.
UNDER THE GUISE OF MISSILE ASSAULTS, HAMAS GUNMEN
INVADED ISRAEL AND SLAUGHTERED APPROXIMATELY 1,300
PEOPLE, MOSTLY CIVILIANS, IN CITIES, HOMES, AND AN OPEN-
AIR MUSIC FESTIVAL. THEY KILLED THEM INSTANTLY AS THEY
TRIED TO ESCAPE, HIDE, AND PLEAD FOR THEIR LIVES. MORE
THAN 3,300 OTHERS SUFFERED INJURIES.
THESE DELIBERATE KILLINGS AND ACTS OF TORTURE
TARGETING CIVILIANS ARE BLATANT VIOLATIONS OF IHL AND
ENTAIL WAR CRIMES. GIVEN HOW PERVASIVE AND
ORGANIZED THE ONSLAUGHT WAS, IT’S LIKELY THAT
MURDER AND TORTURE ARE ALSO CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY COMMITTED IN THESE ASSAULTS.
ADDITIONALLY, 199 PEOPLE—MOSTLY CIVILIANS,
INCLUDING CHILDREN—WERE ABDUCTED BY HAMAS AND
OTHER MILITANTS AND BROUGHT TO GAZA. HAMAS HAS
THREATENED DEATH IF ISRAEL KEEPS UP ITS ATTACK ON
THE GAZA STRIP. IHL IS VIOLATED AND A WAR CRIME IS
COMMITTED WHEN SOMEONE IS KIDNAPPED OR DETAINED
WITH THE INTENT TO MURDER, INJURE, OR PROLONG
IMPRISONMENT TO FORCE A THIRD PARTY TO ACT OR
REFRAIN FROM WORKING TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE
HOSTAGES. THIS PRACTICE IS KNOWN AS HOSTAGE-
TAKING. HAMAS WOULD ALSO COMMIT WAR CRIMES IN
THE EVENT OF EXECUTION, TORTURE, OR INHUMANE
TREATMENT OF CAPTIVES. ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE
RUMORS THAT HAMAS IS USING PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI
CITIZENS AS HUMAN SHIELDS IN GAZA, PROTECTING
REGIONS FROM MILITARY ACTIVITY BY USING CIVILIANS
OR PROTECTED INDIVIDUALS AS HUMAN SHIELDS. IF
ACCURATE, THIS IS A WAR CRIME AND A VIOLATION OF
IHL.
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Israel’s War Crimes in Gaza-

Palestine
WITHIN HOURS, THE IDF RETALIATED AGAINST THE INITIAL ASSAULT BY
ATTACKING HAMAS WITH AIRSTRIKES IN GAZA. ISRAELI OFFICIALS
PROMISED TO USE ALL AVAILABLE MEANS TO AVENGE HAMAS
WHEREVER IT IS HIDING AND DESTROY THOSE AREAS. US SECRETARY
OF DEFENCE LLOYD AUSTIN SAID THAT THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER
NATIONS— FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM—
PROMPTLY PROMISED TO HELP ISRAEL IN ITS EFFORTS TO “DEFEND
ITSELF AND
PROTECT CIVILIANS FROM INDISCRIMINATE VIOLENCE AND
TERRORISM.” ON OCTOBER 18 AND 19, US PRESIDENT BIDEN AND UK
PRIME MINISTER RISHI SUNAK FLEW TO TEL AVIV TO EXPRESS THEIR
SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL. YET ISRAEL HASN’T JUST ACTED IN SELF-
DEFENSE WHEN IT COMESTO GAZA. ISRAEL’S ACTIONS ARE MEANT TO
BE REVENGE, AND
IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE IDF HAS ABDICATED ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO
ADHERE TO THE LAWS OF WAR BY ASSERTING THAT HAMAS IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL IN GAZA. THERE ARE WORRIES THAT THE IDF IS
BREAKING IHL, COMMITTING WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY, AND THAT THIS APPARENT DESIRE FOR RETRIBUTION AND
DISDAIN FOR THE LAWS OF WAR IS A RED FLAG. AS OF OCTOBER 16,
THE IDF HAS CARRIED OUT THOUSANDS OF ATTACKS THROUGHOUT
GAZA, LEAVING AT LEAST 2,800 PEOPLE—MORE THAN 60% OF THEM
WERE
WOMEN AND CHILDREN— DEAD OR INJURED. THESE STRIKES TARGET
MARKETS, HOSPITALS, REFUGEE CAMPS, MOSQUES, SCHOOLS, AND
ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS. REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL HAGARI, AN IDF
SPOKESPERSON, ACKNOWLEDGED ON OCTOBER 10 THAT “THE
EMPHASIS IS ON DAMAGE AND NOT ON ACCURACY,” EVEN THOUGH
MANY OF THESE ATTACKS SEEM INDISCRIMINATE. IT ALSO SEEMS THE
IDF IS NOT TAKING THE ESSENTIAL SAFETY MEASURES TO PREVENT
CIVILIAN HARM. FOR EXAMPLE, ISRAEL HAS USED ADVANCE WARNINGS
BEFORE BOMBING CIVILIAN AREAS IN PREVIOUS CONFLICTS, BUT THIS
PRACTICE HAS NOW BEEN ABANDONED. EVEN IF SOME ISRAELI
AUTHORITIES CLAIM THAT
ISRAEL ABIDES BY INTERNATIONAL LAW, ASSAULTS WITHOUT WARNING
OR INDISCRIMINATELY TARGETING DENSELY POPULATED CIVILIAN
AREAS WITH WHITE PHOSPHORUS ARE AGAINST IHL AND MAY
CONSTITUTE WAR CRIMES. THEY COULD BE CONSIDERED CRIMES
AGAINST HUMANITY IF CARRIED OUT FREQUENTLY OR SYSTEMATICALLY
 PAGE 12

ANY TRANSGRESSIONS BY HAMAS, LIKE USING HUMAN SHIELDS, DO NOT

DIMINISH CIVILIAN PROTECTION OR THE IDF’S ONUS TO UPHOLD IHL AND
SAFEGUARD CIVILIANS. ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER YOAV GALLANT
PLANNED A COMPLETE SIEGE OF GAZA ON OCTOBER 9, PROMISING THAT
NOTHING WOULD ENTER THE AREA—NOT EVEN MEDICAL STAFF OR AID FOR
THOUSANDS OF INJURED—AND THAT “NO ELECTRICITY, NO FOOD, OR
FUEL” WOULD BE ALLOWED. IN ADDITION TO AIRSTRIKES, AN ORDER WAS
GIVEN. GAZA TODAY LACKS ELECTRICITY AND WATER, AND HOSPITALS
ARE OVERFLOWING BECAUSE OF THE UNPRECEDENTED BLOODSHED. THE
SITUATION WORSENED DESPITE THE CLOSURE OF THE TWO BORDER
CROSSINGS INTO ISRAEL AND THE IDF’S BOMBING OF THE RAFAH
CROSSING INTO EGYPT. PEOPLE CAN’T JUST RUN AWAY. THE SIEGE’S
LAUNCH WAS POSTPONED DUE TO DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN EGYPT,
ISRAEL, AND HAMAS. ENTIRELY BESIEGING A CIVILIAN COMMUNITY IN
RETALIATION FOR HAMAS’S HOSTAGE-TAKING OF ISRAELIS VIOLATES IHL
AND PROBABLY QUALIFIES AS A WAR CRIME OF COLLECTIVE
PUNISHMENT. ARGUMENTS TO THE CONTRARY MISREPRESENT
ESTABLISHED IHL, WHICH MAKES IT QUITE EVIDENT THAT PEOPLE MUST
BE SPARED FROM A SIEGE. ACCORDING TO ISRAEL’S MILITARY
GUIDEBOOKS, CIVILIANS MUST BEALLOWED TO EVACUATE A BESIEGED
AREA OR BE PROVIDED WITH FOOD, WATER, AND HUMANITARIAN AID. IF
THE SIEGE RESULTS IN CIVILIAN FATALITIES OR FAMINE, IT PROBABLY
QUALIFIES AS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY, MURDER AND INHUMANE
ACTS, AND A WAR CRIME. ADDITIONALLY, ISRAEL HAS BEGUN TO ENTER
GAZA ON FOOT. ON OCTOBER 13, ISRAEL DEMANDED THAT 1.1 MILLION
PEOPLE LIVING IN
NORTHERN GAZA LEAVE THE AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. MÉDECINS SANS
FRONTIÈRES AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CALLED THIS ORDER
TO EVACUATE HALF OF GAZA, WHICH IS PRIMARILY MADE UP OF
CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY, “OUTRAGEOUS,” “AS ABSURD AS IT IS
INTOLERABLE,”
AND “TANTAMOUNT TO A DEATH SENTENCE.” THE ORDER COMES AMID A
COMPLETE SIEGE THAT IS PREVENTING THE ENTRY OF FUEL AND THE EXIT
OF PEOPLE, AN ONGOING CONFLICT THAT HAS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT
CASUALTIES, DAMAGED ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND EVEN THE
DEATH OF THOSE TRYING TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDER. THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS ALSO ISSUED AN
EXTRAORDINARY
STATEMENT, CAUTIONING
“CATASTROPHIC HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES.” THE ORDER AND THE
ENSUING MASS RELOCATION OF INDIVIDUALS ARE AGAINST IHL AND MAY
AMOUNT TO A WAR CRIME AND A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY, INCLUDING
FORCED TRANSFER. THE DIRECTIVE ALSO CREATES THE POSSIBILITY THAT
CIVILIANS WHO REFUSE TO LEAVE NORTHERN GAZA MAY BE TREATED AS
FIGHTERS BY THE IDF, LEADING TO FURTHER CIVILIAN DEATHS.
 PAGE 13
1. DEPLOYMENT OF UN PEACEKEEPING FORCES: THE
POSSIBILITY OF DEPLOYING UN
PEACEKEEPING FORCES AS A TEMPORARY
MEASURE TO QUELL VIOLENCE IN THE REGION SHOULD BE
EXPLORED. THESE FORCES WOULD
BE STATIONED IN AREAS PRONE TO FREQUENT
VIOLENCE, AIMING TO MITIGATE CLASHES BETWEEN
ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS.
HOWEVER, ANY INVOLVEMENT OF ARMED
FORCES MUST RESPECT THE SOVEREIGNTY OF
ALL NATIONS INVOLVED IN THE AGENDA AT
HAND.
2. NON-VIOLENCE TREATY THROUGH REGIONAL
ORGANIZATION: REGIONAL MEDIATING
NATIONS, ALONG WITH THE TWO DIRECTLY INVOLVED
PARTIES, COULD ESTABLISH AN ORGANIZATION AIMED AT
CRAFTING A NON- VIOLENCE TREATY. THIS
INITIATIVE WOULD INCENTIVIZE BOTH PARTIES TO
CEASE
HOSTILITIES AND EFFECTIVELY MANAGE
SPORADIC CIVIL UNREST.
3. IMPLEMENTATION OF "SOFT POWER"
SOLUTIONS: LONG-TERMSOLUTIONS COULD FOCUS ON
ADDRESSING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS, THEREBY MITIGATING
MUTUAL ANIMOSITY AND TENSION. 4. PURSUIT OF A TWO-
STATE SOLUTION: THE PROPOSED TWO-STATE SOLUTION
ADVOCATES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SEPARATE
NATIONS FOR BOTH GROUPS. THIS ENTAILS THE
CREATION OF AN INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN STATE,
OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED BY THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY, WITHIN A DESIGNATED PORTION OF THE
CURRENT ISRAELI TERRITORIES. WHILE THIS SOLUTION
GARNERS SUPPORT FROM PALESTINIANS SEEKING
SEPARATION FROM ISRAEL, IT FACES
OPPOSITION FROM ISRAELI COUNTERPARTS.
 CONCLUSION PAGE 14

THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT, CHARACTERIZED BY ITS

EXTENSIVE HISTORY AND INTRICATE COMPLEXITIES,
CONTINUES TO SPARK GLOBAL DEBATE, PARTICULARLY
REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF WAR CRIMES. THE
DISCOURSE SURROUNDING WAR CRIMES IN THIS CONFLICT
IS
INTRICATE, ENCOMPASSING DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS, LEGAL
INTERPRETATIONS, AND GEOPOLITICAL FACTORS.
NUMEROUS INCIDENTS WITHIN THE CONFLICT HAVE RAISED
SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL WAR CRIMES,
SUCH
AS THE DELIBERATE TARGETING OF CIVILIANS,
DESTRUCTION OF CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE
DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF FORCE. BOTH PARTIES STAND
ACCUSED OF ACTIONS THAT MAY BREACH INTERNATIONAL
HUMANITARIAN LAW. APPROACHING THIS DISCUSSION
WITH SENSITIVITY IS PARAMOUNT, RECOGNIZING THE
SUFFERING ENDURED BY INDIVIDUALS ON ALL SIDES OF THE
CONFLICT. ADDRESSING WAR CRIMES NECESSITATES
UNBIASED INVESTIGATIONS, HOLDING PERPETRATORS
ACCOUNTABLE,
AND A FIRM DEDICATION TO UPHOLDING HUMAN RIGHTS
AND INTERNATIONAL LAW. RESOLVING THE ISRAEL-
PALESTINE CONFLICT AND ADDRESSING ALLEGATIONS OF
WAR CRIMES REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
INVOLVING DIPLOMACY, DIALOGUE, AND A SINCERE
COMMITMENT TO FINDING AN EQUITABLE AND LASTING
RESOLUTION. THIS MANDATES WILLINGNESS FROM ALL
INVOLVED PARTIES TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL
NEGOTIATIONS, RESPECT EACH OTHER'S RIGHTS, AND
STRIVE FOR PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE. ULTIMATELY,
ACHIEVING PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE
CONFLICT, PARTICULARLY IN ADDRESSING ALLEGATIONS
OF WAR CRIMES, DEMANDS COLLECTIVE ACTION FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO FOSTER DIALOGUE,
UPHOLD HUMAN RIGHTS, AND SUPPORT ENDEAVORS AIMED
AT A FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE RESOLUTION TO THE
ENDURING CONFLICT
 PAGE 15

BEYOND BORDERS: NAVIGATING

OTHER MIDDLE EASTERN
COMPLEXITIES

1. THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

2. THE YEMENI CIVIL WAR
3. THE IRAQI CONFLICT
4. THE KURDISH- TURKISH CONFLICT
5. THE IRAN- SAUDI ARABIA PROXY CONFLICT
6. THE LIBYAN CIVIL WAR
7. THE ONGOING TENSIONS IN LEBANON THESE
CONFLICTS REPRESENT SOME OF THE DIVERSE
CHALLENGES FACED IN THE
MIDDLE EAST, EACH WITH ITS OWN COMPLEXITIES AND
IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL STABILITY. DELEGATES
ARE ENCOURAGED TO DELVE INTO THESE TOPICS AND
CONSIDER THEIR INTERCONNECTEDNESS WITH
BROADER REGIONAL DYNAMICS. BEYOND BORDERS:
NAVIGATING OTHER MIDDLE EASTERN COMPLEX
 PAGE 16

1. THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, IGNITED IN 2011, STEMS FROM A

COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF HISTORICAL, POLITICAL, AND
SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS. SYRIA'S
HISTORY IS MARKED BY DIVERSE CULTURES,
ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS, AND A RICH
TAPESTRY OF RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC
COMMUNITIES. DECADES OF
AUTHORITARIAN RULE UNDER THE ASSAD FAMILY,
BEGINNING WITH HAFEZ AL-ASSAD IN 1970, STIFLED
POLITICAL DISSENT AND MARGINALIZED CERTAIN
GROUPS,
CREATING SIMMERING TENSIONS WITHIN SOCIETY.
INSPIRED BY THE ARAB SPRING UPRISINGS, SYRIANS
INITIALLY TOOK TO
THE STREETS IN PEACEFUL PROTESTS
AGAINST BASHAR AL-ASSAD'S REGIME,
SEEKING DEMOCRATIC REFORMS AND AN
END TO GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION.
HOWEVER, ASSAD'S BRUTAL CRACKDOWN
ON DISSENT SPARKED ARMED RESISTANCE, LEADING
TO THE GRADUAL ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE AND
THE FRAGMENTATION OF OPPOSITION FORCES.
REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACTORS BECAME
INVOLVED, SUPPORTING VARIOUS
FACTIONS, EXACERBATING THE CONFLICT.
THE WAR HAS LED TO IMMENSE HUMAN SUFFERING,
DISPLACING MILLIONS,
FOSTERING THE RISE OF EXTREMIST
GROUPS, AND FUELING ONE OF THE WORST
HUMANITARIAN CRISES OF THE 21ST
 PAGE 17

SIGNIFICANCE AND FACT

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT

THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR CARRIES PROFOUND SIGNIFICANCE, ITS IMPACTS

REVERBERATING ACROSS REGIONAL AND GLOBAL SPHERES. PRIMARILY, IT
SIGNIFIES A COMPLEX CONFLUENCE OF
GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS, SECTARIAN TENSIONS, AND
HUMANITARIAN CRISES. HUMAN SUFFERING HASBEEN
STAGGERING, WITH MILLIONS INTERNALLY DISPLACED
OR SEEKING REFUGE ABROAD, ENDURING VIOLENCE, AND
FACING DIRE CONDITIONS IN REFUGEE CAMPS. MOREOVER, THE
CONFLICT HAS DESTABILIZED THE MIDDLE EAST, EXACERBATING
SUNNI-SHIA TENSIONS
AND PROVIDING FERTILE GROUND FOR EXTREMIST GROUPS LIKE
ISIS TO THRIVE. THE INVOLVEMENT OF VARIOUS REGIONAL AND
GLOBAL POWERS HAS TRANSFORMED THE CONFLICT INTO A
PROXY WAR,
WITH RUSSIA AND IRAN SUPPORTING THE ASSAD
REGIME, WHILE WESTERN AND GULF STATES BACK
REBEL FACTIONS. THIS HAS NOT ONLY PROLONGED
THE CONFLICT BUT ALSO HEIGHTENED TENSIONS
AMONG STAKEHOLDERS. FURTHERMORE, THE REFUGEE CRISIS
STEMMING FROM THE WAR HAS STRAINED RESOURCES AND
SOCIAL COHESION IN HOST
COUNTRIES, CONTRIBUTING TO POLITICAL TENSIONS
AND XENOPHOBIA. SECURITY IMPLICATIONS EXTEND
GLOBALLY, WITH THE PRESENCE OF EXTREMIST
GROUPS POSING TERRORISM THREATS BEYOND
SYRIA'S BORDERS. DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE
CONFLICT HAVE FALTERED DUE TO COMPETING INTERESTS,
SHOWCASING THE LIMITATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL
DIPLOMACY. THUS, THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR UNDERSCORES THE
URGENT NEED FOR
CONCERTED EFFORTS TO MITIGATE ITS DEVASTATING
CONSEQUENCES AND RESTORE STABILITY TO THE
REGION.
 OUTCOME PAGE 18

THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR'S RESOLUTION REMAINS

UNCERTAIN, WITH
DEVASTATING HUMAN COSTS AND FAR-
REACHING CONSEQUENCES. DESPITE LASTING
OVER A DECADE, THE
CONFLICT IS MARRED BY FRACTURED
OPPOSITION AND THE ENDURING GRIP
OF BASHAR AL-ASSAD'S REGIME, SUPPORTED BY
RUSSIA AND IRAN. EMERGING EXTREMIST
GROUPS LIKE
ISIS DEEPEN THE TRAGEDY, INFLICTING
UNIMAGINABLE LOSS OF INNOCENT
LIVES AND EXACERBATING CIVILIAN SUFFERING.
COMMUNITIES ARE
SHATTERED, FAMILIES TORN APART,
AND MILLIONS DISPLACED, RELIANT ON AID FOR
SURVIVAL. THE CONFLICT'S
TOLL UNDERSCORES THE URGENT NEED FOR
COMPASSION AND CONCERTED ACTION TO
ALLEVIATE HUMAN
SUFFERING AND REBUILD SHATTERED LIVES,
EMPHASIZING THE IMPERATIVE OF LASTING
PEACE.
 PAGE 19

22. . TTH
H EE YY
EME EMN E NI VI I C
I C I VA IRLH W
L W I S TA
OR HAILS T O R I C A L
RIC
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
THE YEMENI CIVIL WAR, WHICH ERUPTED IN 2014,
HAS DEEP ROOTS IN THE COUNTRY'S COMPLEX
HISTORY AND POLITICAL DYNAMICS. YEMEN,
SITUATED AT THE CROSSROADS OF ANCIENT TRADE
ROUTES, HAS A RICH HISTORICAL TAPESTRY,
MARKED BY VARIOUS KINGDOMS, EMPIRES, AND
TRIBAL SOCIETIES. IN MODERN TIMES, YEMEN'S
REUNIFICATION IN 1990BROUGHT TOGETHER THE
FORMERLY INDEPENDENT NORTH YEMEN AND SOUTH
YEMEN, YET TENSIONS PERSISTED BETWEEN
DIFFERENT FACTIONS AND REGIONAL POWER
CENTERS. THE ARAB SPRING IN 2011 FURTHER
DESTABILIZED YEMEN, LEADING TO WIDESPREAD
PROTESTS AGAINST PRESIDENT ALI ABDULLAH
SALEH'S REGIME. SALEH'S EVENTUAL RESIGNATION
DID NOT QUELL UNREST, AS LONGSTANDING
GRIEVANCES AND POWER STRUGGLES PERSISTED.
AMIDST THIS BACKDROP, HOUTHI REBELS,
MARGINALIZED IN THE NORTH, SEIZED CONTROL OF
THE CAPITAL, SANA'A, IN 2014, PROMPTING A
MILITARY INTERVENTION BY A SAUDI-LED
COALITION IN SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED GOVERNMENT. THE CONFLICT HAS
SINCE EVOLVED INTO A PROTRACTED AND
DEVASTATING CIVIL WAR, EXACERBATING YEMEN'S
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND ENTRENCHING THE
COUNTRY IN A COMPLEX WEB OF REGIONAL
RIVALRIES AND INTERNATIONAL
INTERESTS.
 PAGE 20

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT

THE YEMENI CIVIL WAR HOLDS PROFOUND SIGNIFICANCE AND HAS

FARREACHING GEOPOLITICAL IMPACTS, BOTH REGIONALLY AND GLOBALLY.
YEMEN'S STRATEGIC
LOCATION AT THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE ARABIAN PENINSULA,
OVERLOOKING KEY MARITIME TRADE
ROUTES, MAKES IT A FOCAL POINT FOR REGIONAL POWERS. THE
CONFLICT HAS BECOME A PROXY BATTLEGROUND FOR BROADER
REGIONAL RIVALRIES, PARTICULARLY BETWEEN SUNNI-MAJORITY
SAUDI ARABIA AND SHIA-MAJORITY IRAN. SAUDI ARABIA,
LEADING A COALITION OF ARAB STATES, SUPPORTS THE
INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED
GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT ABDRABBUH MANSUR HADI
AGAINST THE HOUTHI REBELS, WHO ARE ALLEGEDLY BACKED BY
IRAN. THIS PROXY DIMENSION EXACERBATES SECTARIAN
TENSIONS AND FUELS BROADER
GEOPOLITICAL COMPETITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE
CONFLICT HAS
ALSO EXACERBATED HUMANITARIAN SUFFERING, WITH YEMEN
FACING ONE OF THE WORLD'S WORST
HUMANITARIAN CRISES. WIDESPREAD FAMINE, DISEASE
OUTBREAKS, AND CIVILIAN CASUALTIES HAVE LED TO IMMENSE
HUMAN SUFFERING, WITH MILLIONS IN NEED
OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE. THE INSTABILITY IN YEMEN HAS
ALLOWED EXTREMIST GROUPS LIKE AL- QAEDA IN THE ARABIAN
PENINSULA (AQAP) TO THRIVE, POSING A THREAT TO REGIONAL
SECURITY AND
BEYOND. MOREOVER, THE YEMENI CIVIL WAR HAS STRAINED
RELATIONS BETWEEN KEY INTERNATIONAL ACTORS, WITH THE
UNITED STATES PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THE SAUDI-LED
COALITION WHILE FACING CRITICISM FOR ITS ROLE IN
EXACERBATING THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS. OVERALL, THE
YEMENI CIVIL WAR'S
SIGNIFICANCE LIES IN ITS ROLE AS A GEOPOLITICAL
BATTLEGROUND, EXACERBATING REGIONAL TENSIONS,
FOSTERING EXTREMISM, AND PERPETUATING
HUMANITARIAN SUFFERING.
 PAGE 21

OUTCOME
OUTCOME
THE YEMENI CIVIL WAR'S OUTCOME REMAINS
SHROUDED IN UNCERTAINTY, LEAVING A TRAIL OF
HEARTBREAK AND DEVASTATION FOR ITS PEOPLE.
DESPITE EARNEST ATTEMPTS AT PEACE, THE
CONFLICT PERSISTS, PLUNGING YEMEN DEEPER
INTO DESPAIR. FAMILIES TORN APART,
COMMUNITIES SHATTERED, AND INNOCENT LIVES
LOST AMIDST THE RELENTLESS VIOLENCE AND
SUFFERING.
THE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED
GOVERNMENT, BACKED BY A SAUDI-LED
COALITION, CLASHES WITH HOUTHI
REBELS, WHILE ORDINARY YEMENIS
ENDURE UNIMAGINABLE HARDSHIPS.
HUNGER,
DISEASE, AND DISPLACEMENT AFFLICT
MILLIONS, PUSHING THEM TO THE BRINK
OF SURVIVAL. AMIDST THIS TURMOIL,
THE WAR EXACERBATES REGIONAL
TENSIONS
AND GEOPOLITICAL RIVALRIES, FURTHER
COMPLICATING EFFORTS FOR PEACE. IN
THIS HOUR OF DARKNESS, THE YEMENI
PEOPLE'S RESILIENCE AND SPIRIT SHINE
THROUGH, BUT THE URGENT CALL FOR
COMPASSION, SOLIDARITY, AND
IMMEDIATE ACTION ECHOES LOUDER
THAN EVER BEFORE.
 PAGE 22

3. THE IRAQI CONFLICT

HISTORICAL
INTRODUCTION
3. THE IRAQI CONFLICT HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION

THE IRAQI CONFLICT IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN A

COMPLEX TAPESTRY OF HISTORICAL, POLITICAL, AND RELIGIOUS
DYNAMICS. IRAQ'S HISTORY IS MARKED
BY ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS, INCLUDING
MESOPOTAMIA, THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION, BUT ALSO BY
CENTURIES OF EXTERNAL INFLUENCE, COLONIALISM, AND
INTERNAL STRIFE. THE MODERN STATE OF IRAQ, ESTABLISHED IN
THE AFTERMATH
OF WORLD WAR I, HAS GRAPPLED WITH
CHALLENGES OF NATION-BUILDING, SECTARIAN DIVISIONS, AND
AUTHORITARIAN RULE. SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME, MARKED BY
BRUTALITY AND REPRESSION, EXACERBATED EXISTING TENSIONS
AMONG IRAQ'S DIVERSE ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS. THE
2003 INVASION BY A US-LED
COALITION AND SUBSEQUENT TOPPLING OF
SADDAM HUSSEIN PLUNGED IRAQ INTO A
PROTRACTED CONFLICT, CHARACTERIZED BY INSURGENCY,
SECTARIAN VIOLENCE, AND STATE COLLAPSE. THIS PERIOD SAW
THE EMERGENCE OF EXTREMIST GROUPS LIKE AL-QAEDA IN IRAQ,
LATER EVOLVING INTO ISIS. THE LEGACY OF THE IRAQ
WAR CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE COUNTRY'S TRAJECTORY, WITH
ONGOING STRUGGLES FOR STABILITY, DEMOCRACY, AND
RECONCILIATION
AMIDST ENDURING CHALLENGES OF
SECTARIANISM, CORRUPTION, AND FOREIGN INTERVENTION. THE
AFTERMATH OF THE CONFLICT
HAS LEFT IRAQ GRAPPLING WITH PROFOUND HUMANITARIAN
CRISES, INCLUDING MASS
DISPLACEMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE DESTRUCTION, AND THE
DESTABILIZATION OF ITS SOCIAL FABRIC.
 SIGNIFICANCE
SIGNIFICANCE AND
AND IMPACT IMPACT
PAGE 23 PAGE 23

THE POST-2003 IRAQI CONFLICT HOLDS IMMENSE GEOPOLITICAL

SIGNIFICANCE, RESHAPING
REGIONAL DYNAMICS AND INFLUENCING GLOBAL
POLITICS. THE US-LED INVASION AND SUBSEQUENT
OCCUPATION OF IRAQ TRANSFORMED THE BALANCE
OF POWER IN THE MIDDLE EAST, TRIGGERING A
WAVE OF INSTABILITY THAT REVERBERATED
THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THE REMOVAL OF
SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME ELIMINATED A
BULWARK AGAINST IRAN, ALLOWING TEHRAN TO
EXPAND ITS INFLUENCE IN IRAQ AND BEYOND,
FUELING SECTARIAN TENSIONS AND CONTRIBUTING
TO THE RISE OF SHIA MILITIAS. MOREOVER, THE
OCCUPATION AND SUBSEQUENT INSURGENCY
PROVIDED FERTILE GROUND FOR EXTREMIST GROUPS
LIKE AL-QAEDA IN IRAQ, LATER MORPHING INTO
ISIS, WHICH SEIZED TERRITORY, PERPETRATED
ATROCITIES, AND POSED A THREAT TO REGIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY. THE CONFLICT
ALSO EXACERBATED SUNNI-SHIA DIVISIONS,
EXACERBATING SECTARIAN VIOLENCE AND
COMPLICATING EFFORTS FOR RECONCILIATION.
ADDITIONALLY, THE IRAQI CONFLICT STRAINED US
RELATIONS WITH TRADITIONAL ALLIES, UNDERMINED
INTERNATIONAL NORMS, AND FUELED ANTI-
AMERICAN SENTIMENT WORLDWIDE. THE WAR'S
HUMAN AND FINANCIAL COSTS, COUPLED WITH ITS
FAILURE
TO ACHIEVE STATED OBJECTIVES LIKE PROMOTING
DEMOCRACY AND STABILITY, UNDERSCORED THE
LIMITATIONS OF US MILITARY INTERVENTION AND
RESHAPED GLOBAL
 OUTCOME
OUTCOME
PAGE 24

THE POST-2003 IRAQI CONFLICT'S OUTCOME

REFLECTS A COMPLEX BLEND OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND
ENDURING CHALLENGES. WHILE THE REMOVAL OF
SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME FACILITATED THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND T
DRAFTING OF A NEW CONSTITUTION, SECTARIAN
TENSIONS PERSIST, HINDERING NATIONAL
RECONCILIATION EFFORTS. THE DEFEAT OF ISIS
MARKED A SIGNIFICANT VICTORY, YET IRAQ GRAPPLES
WITH ONGOING SECURITY THREATS AND THE
PRESENCE OF INSURGENT GROUPS. POLITICAL
INSTABILITY, CORRUPTION, AND WEAK GOVERNANCE
CONTINUE TO PLAGUE THE COUNTRY, UNDERMINING
STATE INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC TRUST. MOREOVER,
IRAQ FACES PROFOUND SOCIOECONOMIC
CHALLENGES, INCLUDING HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
RATES, INADEQUATE PUBLIC SERVICES, AND A
STRUGGLING ECONOMY HEAVILY RELIANT ON OIL
REVENUE. THE CONFLICT'S AFTERMATH HAS LEFT A DEEP
IMPRINT ON IRAQI SOCIETY, WITH WIDESPREAD
DISPLACEMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE, AND A
FRACTURED SOCIAL FABRIC. AMIDST FOREIGN
INTERVENTION AND REGIONAL POWER STRUGGLES,
IRAQ REMAINS ON A PRECARIOUS PATH TOWARDS
STABILITY, REQUIRING SUSTAINED EFFORTS TO
ADDRESS ITS MULTIFACETED CHALLENGES AND
FOSTER GENUINE PEACE AND PROSPERITY FOR ITS
PEOPLE.
 4. THE KURDISH-TURKISH PAGE 25

CONFLICT INTRODUCTION
4. THE KURDISH-TURKISH CONFLICT PAGE 25 INTRODUCTION

THE KURDISH-TURKISH CONFLICT, SPANNING SEVERAL DECADES, IS ROOTED IN

A COMPLEX HISTORY OF ETHNIC TENSIONS, POLITICAL GRIEVANCES, AND
TERRITORIAL DISPUTES. THE KURDS, AN ETHNIC GROUP SPREAD ACROSS
TURKEY, IRAQ, SYRIA, AND IRAN, HAVE HISTORICALLY
FACED DISCRIMINATION AND MARGINALIZATION,
PARTICULARLY IN TURKEY. IN THE LATE 20TH CENTURY, THE
CONFLICT ESCALATED WITH THE EMERGENCE OF THE
KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY (PKK) IN 1978. LED BY
ABDULLAH ÖCALAN, THE PKK SOUGHT GREATER KURDISH
AUTONOMY AND RIGHTS WITHIN TURKEY. THE CONFLICT
ERUPTED INTO VIOLENCE IN 1984 WHEN THE PKK LAUNCHED
ITS ARMED STRUGGLE AGAINST THE TURKISH STATE, MARKING
THE BEGINNING OF A PROTRACTED INSURGENCY.
THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, THE CONFLICT INTENSIFIED, WITH
THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTING HARSH
MILITARY MEASURES TO SUPPRESS THE PKK'S
INSURGENCY. THE PERIOD WAS MARKED BY WIDESPREAD HUMAN
RIGHTS ABUSES, INCLUDING FORCED
DISPLACEMENT, DISAPPEARANCES, AND EXTRAJUDICIAL
KILLINGS. IN RESPONSE, THE PKK CARRIED OUT NUMEROUS
ATTACKS ON SECURITY FORCES AND CIVILIANS. EFFORTS TO
RESOLVE THE CONFLICT HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE YEARS,
INCLUDING CEASEFIRES AND PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. IN 2013,
THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH WHEN PEACE
TALKS BETWEEN THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT AND
THE PKK LED TO A CEASEFIRE. HOWEVER, THE CEASEFIRE
COLLAPSED IN 2015, LEADING TO A RESURGENCE OF
VIOLENCE AND A RENEWED MILITARY CRACKDOWN BY THE
TURKISH STATE. THE KURDISH-TURKISH CONFLICT REMAINS
UNRESOLVED, WITH DEEP-SEATED MISTRUST AND ONGOING
VIOLENCE HINDERING EFFORTS FOR PEACE AND
RECONCILIATION. IT CONTINUES TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT
IMPLICATIONS FOR TURKEY'S INTERNAL STABILITY,
REGIONAL GEOPOLITICS, AND THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE
KURDISH POPULATION FOR AUTONOMY AND RECOGNITION OF
THEIR RIGHTS.
SIGNIFICANCE
SIGNIFICANCE AND I AND IMPACT
MPACT PAGE 26

THE KURDISH-TURKISH CONFLICT HOLDS PROFOUND GEOPOLITICAL

SIGNIFICANCE, SHAPING REGIONAL DYNAMICS AND INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS IN THE MIDDLE
EAST. TURKEY'S STRUGGLE TO SUPPRESS
KURDISH SEPARATISM IMPACTS ITS INTERNAL STABILITY
AND INFLUENCES ITS RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONFLICT COMPLICATES
TURKEY'S ROLE IN REGIONAL ALLIANCES AND ITS
STANDING IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE NATO
AND THE EUROPEAN UNION. THE KURDISH POPULATION'S
ASPIRATIONS FOR AUTONOMY INTERSECT WITH THE
INTERESTS OF VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL ACTORS,
INCLUDING THE
UNITED STATES, WHICH HAS SUPPORTED
KURDISH FORCES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ISIS. HOWEVER,
THIS SUPPORT HAS STRAINED
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND TURKEY, A
NATO ALLY. MOREOVER, THE CONFLICT
AFFECTS ENERGY SECURITY IN OIL-RICH
REGIONS WHERE KURDISH POPULATIONS RESIDE AND
POSES CHALLENGES FOR HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS AND
REFUGEE POPULATIONS. OVERALL, THE KURDISH-TURKISH
CONFLICT IS A
SIGNIFICANT GEOPOLITICAL ISSUE, WITH FAR- REACHING
IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL
STABILITY AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE
EAST.
 OUTCOME PAGE 27

THE KURDISH-TURKISH CONFLICT, AKIN TO MANY ARAB

INSURGENCIES, PERSISTS WITH ENDURING TENSIONS AND
SPORADIC
VIOLENCE. STEMMING FROM HISTORICAL
GRIEVANCES AND POLITICAL REPRESSION,
BOTH CONFLICTS AMPLIFY CALLS FOR
GREATER AUTONOMY AND RIGHTS AMONG
MARGINALIZED ETHNIC GROUPS. WHILE THE
KURDISH-TURKISH CONFLICT REFLECTS DEEPER
HISTORICAL ROOTS AKIN TO THE REPRESSIVE
POLICIES OF ARAB REGIMES, ARAB
INSURGENCIES EMERGED MORE RECENTLY,
OFTEN AMIDST THE ARAB SPRING UPRISINGS.
FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT EXACERBATES BOTH
CONFLICTS, WITH GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS
AT PLAY. HOWEVER, WHILE THE KURDISH-
TURKISH CONFLICT PRIMARILY INVOLVES TURKE
AND KURDISH GROUPS, ARAB INSURGENCIES
SPAN MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, EACH WITH
DISTINCT DYNAMICS. DESPITE VARIANCES,
UNCERTAINTIES LOOM OVER BOTH CONFLICTS
IMPEDING REGIONAL STABILITY AND THWARTIN
ENDEAVORS FOR PEACE, DEVELOPMENT, AND
SOCIAL COHESION.
 PAGE 28

5. THE IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA PROXY

CONFLICT
5. THE IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA PROXY CONFLICT
I N T R O D U C T I O NI N T R O D U C T I O N

THE IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA PROXY CONFLICT IS DEEPLY ENTRENCHE

IN THE HISTORICAL, RELIGIOUS, AND GEOPOLITICAL CONTEXT OF
THE MIDDLE EAST.
DATING BACK CENTURIES, IRAN AND SAUDI ARAB
HAVE VIED FOR REGIONAL DOMINANCE, FUELED BY
COMPETING VISIONS OF ISLAM AND POLITICAL
ASPIRATIONS. THE SHIA-MAJORITY IRAN AND SUNNI
MAJORITY SAUDI ARABIA REPRESENT OPPOSING
BRANCHES OF ISLAM, CONTRIBUTING TO SECTARIAN
TENSIONS THAT HAVE INTENSIFIED IN RECENT
DECADES. THE 1979 IRANIAN REVOLUTION MARKED A
PIVOTAL MOMENT, AS IRAN'S SHIA ISLAMIST
GOVERNMENT CHALLENGED THE TRADITIONAL SUNNI
LEADERSHIP OF SAUDI ARABIA. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
INCLUDING THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR AND THE RISE OF
MILITANT GROUPS LIKE HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON,
FURTHER HEIGHTENED ANIMOSITY AND FUELED PROX
CONFLICTS ACROSS THE REGION. IN RECENT YEARS,
TENSIONS HAVE ESCALATED WITH IRAN'S SUPPORT
FOR SHIA MILITIAS IN IRAQ, HOUTHI REBELS IN
YEMEN, AND ITS INVOLVEMENT IN CONFLICTS IN
SYRIA AND LEBANON, DIRECTLY CHALLENGING SAUD
ARABIA'S INFLUENCE. THIS PROXY CONFLICT HAS
PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL STABILITY
EXACERBATING SECTARIAN DIVISIONS, FUELING
VIOLENCE, AND COMPLICATING EFFORTS FOR PEACE
AND RECONCILIATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
SIGNIFICANCE
AND IMPACT
SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT PAGE 29
THE IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA PROXY CONFLICT HOLDS
IMMENSE SIGNIFICANCE AND HAS PROFOUND
GEOPOLITICAL IMPACTS, REVERBERATING THROUGHOUT
THE MIDDLE EAST AND BEYOND. AT ITS CORE, THE
CONFLICT REPRESENTS A STRUGGLE FOR DOMINANCE
BETWEEN TWO MAJOR REGIONAL POWERS, IRAN AND
SAUDI ARABIA. THEIR RIVALRY EXTENDS BEYOND
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SPHERES, DEEPLY ROOTED IN
HISTORICAL, RELIGIOUS, AND SECTARIAN DIVISIONS.
THE PROXY CONFLICT EXACERBATES SECTARIAN
TENSIONS BETWEEN SUNNI AND SHIA MUSLIMS, WITH
IRAN BACKING SHIA GROUPS AND MILITIAS ACROSS THE
REGION, WHILE SAUDI ARABIA SUPPORTS SUNNI
FACTIONS. THIS HEIGHTENING OF SECTARIAN DIVIDES
FUELS INSTABILITY AND VIOLENCE, PARTICULARLY IN
COUNTRIES LIKE IRAQ, SYRIA, AND YEMEN. MOREOVER,
THE CONFLICT CONTRIBUTES TO THE DESTABILIZATION
OF THE MIDDLE EAST, FUELING ONGOING CONFLICTS
AND IMPEDING EFFORTS FOR PEACE AND STABILITY. THE
INVOLVEMENT OF IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA IN VARIOUS
PROXY WARS EXACERBATES VIOLENCE, DISPLACES
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, AND EXACERBATES HUMANITARIAN
CRISES. FURTHERMORE, AS MAJOR PLAYERS IN GLOBAL
ENERGY MARKETS, BOTH IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA
POSSESS SIGNIFICANT OIL RESERVES. TENSIONS
BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO
DISRUPT OIL SUPPLIES, LEADING TO FLUCTUATIONS IN
GLOBAL ENERGY PRICES AND IMPACTING THE GLOBAL
ECONOMY. OVERALL, THE IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA PROXY
CONFLICT IS A SIGNIFICANT DRIVER OF INSTABILITY IN THE
MIDDLE EAST, WITH FAR-REACHING GEOPOLITICAL
IMPLICATIONS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE REGION.
EFFORTS TO MITIGATE TENSIONS AND RESOLVE THE
CONFLICT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR FOSTERING PEACE,
STABILITY, AND PROSPERITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND
PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL SECURITY.
 OUTCOME
OUTCOME
PAGE 30

THE IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA PROXY CONFLICT

YIELDS FAR-REACHING OUTCOMES AND
IMPACTS
ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. DESTABILIZATION
ENSUES AS BOTH NATIONS SUPPORT OPPOSING
FACTIONS, PROLONGING CONFLICTS AND
IMPEDING PEACE EFFORTS IN COUNTRIES LIKE
SYRIA, YEMEN, AND IRAQ. SECTARIAN
TENSIONS EXACERBATE, HEIGHTENING
DIVISIONS BETWEEN SUNNI AND SHIA
MUSLIMS, ESCALATING
VIOLENCE, AND ERODING SOCIAL COHESION.
HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES ARE DIRE,
WITH MILLIONS DISPLACED AND VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS ENDURING SUFFERING AND
DEPRIVATION. MOREOVER, THE CONFLICT
HOLDS GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS, PARTICULARLY
IN ENERGY MARKETS, WHERE DISRUPTIONS DUE
TO TENSIONS BETWEEN IRAN AND SAUDI
ARABIA MAY LEAD TO FLUCTUATIONS IN OIL
PRICES, IMPACTING THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.
OVERALL, THE PROXY
CONFLICT PERPETUATES
INSTABILITY, FUELS SECTARIANISM, AND
HAMPERS PROSPECTS FOR PEACE AND
PROSPERITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST,
NECESSITATING CONCERTED EFFORTS
TOWARDS DEESCALATION, DIALOGUE, AND
REGIONAL COOPERATION.
6. THE LIBYAN CIVIL
6. THE LIBYAN CIVIL WAR PAGE 31

WAR INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

THE LIBYAN CIVIL WAR, WHICH ERUPTED IN 2011,

FINDS ITS ROOTS IN A COMPLEX HISTORICAL AND
POLITICAL CONTEXT. FOLLOWING DECADES OF
AUTHORITARIAN RULE UNDER MUAMMAR GADDAFI,
LIBYA EXPERIENCED A WAVE OF PRO-DEMOCRACY
PROTESTS AS PART OF THE BROADER ARAB SPRING
MOVEMENT. GADDAFI'S BRUTAL CRACKDOWN ON
DISSENT SPARKED ARMED RESISTANCE, LEADING TO A
FULL-SCALE CIVIL WAR. THE CONFLICT PITTED
GADDAFI'S REGIME AGAINST A COALITION OF REBEL
FORCES, SUPPORTED BY NATO AIRSTRIKES.
GADDAFI'S REGIME WAS EVENTUALLY OVERTHROWN,
MARKING A SIGNIFICANT TURNING POINT IN LIBYA'S
HISTORY. HOWEVER, THE AFTERMATH OF GADDAFI'S
OUSTING PLUNGED LIBYA INTO A PROLONGED PERIOD
OF INSTABILITY AND VIOLENCE, AS RIVAL FACTIONS
VIED FOR POWER AND CONTROL. THE COUNTRY
BECAME FRAGMENTED, WITH VARIOUS ARMED
GROUPS, TRIBAL MILITIAS, AND POLITICAL FACTIONS
COMPETING FOR INFLUENCE. THE LACK OF A STRONG
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND THE PROLIFERATION OF
WEAPONS EXACERBATED THE CHAOS, LEADING TO
CONTINUED CONFLICT, HUMANITARIAN CRISES, AND
THE RISE OF EXTREMIST GROUPS. THE LIBYAN CIVIL
WAR REPRESENTS A COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF
HISTORICAL GRIEVANCES, POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS,
AND EXTERNAL INTERVENTIONS, WITH ENDURING
IMPLICATIONS FOR LIBYA AND THE BROADER REGION.
 PAGE 32

SIGNIFICANCE
S I G N I F I C A N C E A N D I M P A C T AND IMPACT

THE LIBYAN CIVIL WAR, WITH ITS PROTRACTED VIOLENCE AND

MULTIFACETED DYNAMICS, HOLDS IMMENSE SIGNIFICANCE AND
PROFOUND
GEOPOLITICAL IMPACTS, EXTENDING FAR BEYOND
LIBYA'S BORDERS. THE CONFLICT'S DESTABILIZING
EFFECTS HAVE RIPPLED THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST
AND NORTH AFRICA REGION, CONTRIBUTING
TO WIDESPREAD INSECURITY AND FUELING
HUMANITARIAN CRISES. THE FRAGMENTATION OF LIBYA
INTO RIVAL FACTIONS, ARMED GROUPS, AND TRIBAL
MILITIAS HAS CREATED A POWER VACUUM EXPLOITED
BY EXTREMIST ORGANIZATIONS, THREATENING
REGIONAL STABILITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONFLICT
HAS EXACERBATED THE MIGRATION CRISIS, WITH LIBYA
SERVING AS A MAJOR TRANSIT POINT FOR IRREGULAR
MIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACROSS THE
MEDITERRANEAN,
STRAINING RESOURCES AND TENSIONS WITHIN THE
EUROPEAN UNION. MOREOVER, THE LIBYAN CIVIL WAR
HAS BECOME A BATTLEGROUND FOR
COMPETING REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
POWERS, WITH COUNTRIES LIKE TURKEY, EGYPT, THE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, AND RUSSIA BACKING
DIFFERENT
FACTIONS TO ADVANCE THEIR STRATEGIC
INTERESTS. THIS PROXY INVOLVEMENT FURTHER
EXACERBATES
THE CONFLICT AND PROLONGS THE SUFFERING OF THE
LIBYAN PEOPLE. FURTHERMORE, LIBYA'S VAST OIL
RESERVES HAVE MADE IT A FOCAL POINT FOR
RESOURCE COMPETITION, WITH DISRUPTIONS IN OIL
PRODUCTION AND EXPORT IMPACTING GLOBAL ENERGY
MARKETS AND ENERGY SECURITY.
OUTCOME PAGE 33

THE OUTCOME OF THE LIBYAN CIVIL WAR REMAINS COMPLEX

AND UNCERTAIN, WITH ENDURING CONSEQUENCES FOR LIBYA
AND THE WIDER REGION. DESPITE THE OVERTHROW OF MUAMMAR
GADDAFI'S REGIME IN 2011, THE CONFLICT HAS LEFT LIBYA DEEPLY
DIVIDED, WITH RIVAL FACTIONS VYING FOR POWER
AND CONTROL. EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH A STABLE
AND UNIFIED GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN HAMPERED BY
POLITICAL INFIGHTING, FRAGMENTATION, AND THE
PROLIFERATION OF ARMED GROUPS. AS A RESULT,
LIBYA CONTINUES TO GRAPPLE WITH INSECURITY,
VIOLENCE, AND HUMANITARIAN CRISES. THE
ABSENCE OF A STRONG CENTRAL AUTHORITY HAS
CREATED A POWER VACUUM EXPLOITED BY
EXTREMIST GROUPS, EXACERBATING INSTABILITY
AND THREATENING
REGIONAL SECURITY. MOREOVER, THE CONFLICT
HAS FUELED HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND IRREGULAR
MIGRATION ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN,
CONTRIBUTING TO A BROADER MIGRATION CRISIS
IMPACTING EUROPE. INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO
BROKER PEACE AND FACILITATE POLITICAL
DIALOGUE HAVE YIELDED LIMITED SUCCESS, WITH
THE CONFLICT PERSISTING DESPITE NUMEROUS
ATTEMPTS AT RECONCILIATION. THE OUTCOME OF
THE LIBYAN CIVIL WAR REMAINS UNCERTAIN, WITH
THE PATH TO
STABILITY AND PEACE FRAUGHT WITH CHALLENGES
AND OBSTACLES. RESOLVING THE CONFLICT AND
ESTABLISHING A FUNCTIONING GOVERNMENT
CAPABLE OF PROVIDING SECURITY AND SERVICES TO
ALL
LIBYANS REMAINS A DAUNTING TASK, REQUIRING
SUSTAINED INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND
COOPERATION.
 PAGE 34
7. THE ONGOING TENSIONS IN LEBANON
7. THE ONGOING TENSIONS IN LEBANON
I N T R O D U C T I OI N
N TRODUCTION
LEBANON HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN A STRONG
U.S. PARTNER IN THE MIDDLE EAST. SECURITY
RISKS, INCLUDING WEAK GOVERNANCE, A
CRIPPLED ECONOMY, DESTABILIZING SPILLOVER FROM
THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, AND THE
INCREASING TENSION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND
HEZBOLLAH, HAVE ALARMED U.S. POLICYMAKERS,
AS WELL AS LEADERS OF PARTNER STATES IN
EUROPE AND THE PERSIAN GULF. UNDER THE AUSPICES
OF THE UNITED STATES, LEBANON AND ISRAEL SIGNED
A MARITIME DEAL IN OCTOBER
2022 THAT DEFINED THE SEA BORDERS OF THE TWO
COUNTRIES, ALLOWING FOR EXPLORATION AND
EXTRACTION OF NATURAL GAS FOUND IN THE
AREA. HOWEVER, THIS DEAL HAS DONE LITTLE TO
QUELL THE HOSTILITIES BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE
IRANIAN PROXY GROUP. U.S. POLICYMAKERS
REMAIN FOCUSED ON MITIGATING THE
INSTABILITY IN LEBANON IN ORDER TO FIND A
DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION TO THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR
AND TO PREVENT THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF
IRAN IN THE REGION. FEARS OF A RENEWED WAR
BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON
HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AS CROSS-
BORDER STRIKES CONTINUE TO ESCALATE IN THE
AFTERMATH OF HAMAS' OCTOBER 7 ATTACK ON
ISRAEL.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND PAGE 35

CURRENT SCENARIO
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND CURRENT SCENARIO

THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN LEBANON HAS BEEN DEEPLY INFLUENCED

BY ITS SECTARIAN DIVISIONS SINCE GAINING INDEPENDENCE IN 1943.
A SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE WAS ESTABLISHED TO ACCOMMODATE
THE COUNTRY'S MAJOR RELIGIOUS GROUPS: MARONITE CHRISTIANS,
REPRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT; SHIITE MUSLIMS, REPRESENTED BY THE
SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT; AND SUNNI MUSLIMS, REPRESENTED BY THE
PRIME MINISTER. HOWEVER, THESE SECTARIAN DIFFERENCES EVENTUALLY
LED TO A DEVASTATING CIVIL WAR FROM 1975 TO 1990, WITH ISRAELI
AND SYRIAN INTERVENTIONS RESULTING IN OVER 100,000 CASUALTIES.
THE AFTERMATH OF THE CIVIL WAR SAW LEBANON STRUGGLING WITH
POLITICAL INSTABILITY, EXACERBATED BY TENSIONS BETWEEN
HEZBOLLAH AND OTHER RELIGIOUS SECTS. DESPITE EFFORTS TO
MAINTAIN A DELICATE POWER BALANCE, POLITICAL GRIDLOCK HAS
MADE IT CHALLENGING TO FILL KEY POSITIONS, NOTABLY THE
PRESIDENCY. LEBANON'S POLITICAL SITUATION HAS ALSO BECOME A
BATTLEGROUND FOR REGIONAL POWERS, WITH IRAN SUPPORTING
HEZBOLLAH AND SAUDI ARABIA BACKING SUNNI POLITICIANS LIKE
FORMER PRIME MINISTER
SAAD HARIRI. THE SPILLOVER FROM THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR HAS
FURTHER DESTABILIZED LEBANON, WITH OVER 1.5 MILLION REFUGEES
SEEKING SHELTER AND IMPACTING CROSS-BORDER TRADE AND
TOURISM. ADDITIONALLY, HEZBOLLAH'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE SYRIAN
CONFLICT
AND SUPPORT FOR SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD HAVE
HEIGHTENED TENSIONS WITH ISRAEL ALONG THE LEBANON-ISRAEL
BORDER. IN OCTOBER 2019, WIDESPREAD PROTESTS ERUPTED AGAINST
GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION AND ECONOMIC STAGNATION, LEADING
TO THE RESIGNATION OF THE CABINET OF MINISTERS. HOWEVER, THE
COVID19 PANDEMIC STALLED MOMENTUM FOR CHANGE. THE BEIRUT PORT
EXPLOSION IN AUGUST 2020 FURTHER EXACERBATED TENSIONS, LEADING
TO WIDESPREAD PROTESTS AND THE RESIGNATION OF THE ENTIRE
CABINET. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE EXPLOSION HAS BEEN
HINDERED BY POLITICAL INTERFERENCE, PARTICULARLY FROM
HEZBOLLAH AND ITS ALLIES. LEBANON'S ECONOMIC CRISIS,
WORSENED BY GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION AND THE PANDEMIC, HAS LED
TO HYPERINFLATION AND SOCIAL UNREST. A STAFF-LEVEL AGREEMENT
WITH THE IMF IN 2022
AIMED TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE, CONTINGENT ON
REFORMS THAT PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY. HOWEVER,
IMPLEMENTATION HAS BEEN SLOW, LEAVING OVER 80% OF THE
POPULATION IN POVERTY. TENSIONS ALONG THE LEBANON-ISRAEL
BORDER ESCALATED IN OCTOBER 2023
AFTER HAMAS ATTACKED ISRAEL FROM GAZA. HEZBOLLAH'S
SOLIDARITY WITH HAMAS RAISED FEARS OF A BROADER CONFLICT,
PROMPTING THE
US TO DEPLOY CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS TO THE REGION. FIGHTING
BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL CONTINUES, DISPLACING
THOUSANDS AND CAUSING CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES. THE
SITUATION REMAINS VOLATILE, WITH NO RESOLUTION IN SIGHT.
SUGGESTED
S U G G E S T E D M O D E RMODERATED
ATED CAUCUS PAGE 36

TOPICS
CAUCUS TOPICS
1.DELIBERATING UPON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
JOINT INTELLIGENCE TASK FORCE TO COMBAT
TERRORISM AND PREVENT
ATTACKS BY NONSTATE ACTORS IN THE
REGION.
2. EXPLORING MEASURES TO
STRENGTHEN BORDER SECURITY AND
PREVENT ILLICIT ARMS TRAFFICKING TO
ENHANCE
STABILITY IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE.
3. DISCUSSING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
THE THREAT POSED BY EXTREMIST
ORGANIZATIONS AND PREVENT THEIR
INFLUENCE FROM DESTABILIZING THE
REGION.
4. CONSIDERING THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF MEASURES TO HOLD PERPETRATORS
OF
WAR CRIMES AND HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSES ACCOUNTABLE, PROMOTING
JUSTICE AND STABILITY.
5. ADVOCATING FOR THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIONAL
SECURITY FRAMEWORK TO ADDRESS
SHARED SECURITY CONCERNS AND
PROMOTE COOPERATION AMONG
NEIGHBORING STATES.
 REFERENCES AND
R E FURTHER
F E R E N C E S A N DREADINGS
FURTHER READINGS PAGE 37

HTTPS://WWW.UN.ORG/UNISPAL/TIMELINE
/ HTTPS://WWW.OHCHR.ORG/EN/HR-
BODIES/HRC/DOCUMENTS
HTTPS://NEWS.UN.ORG/EN/TAGS/ISRAEL-
PALESTINE
HTTPS://WWW.OHCHR.ORG/SITES/DEFAUL
T /FILES/DOCUMENTS/PUBLICATION
S/HR_IN_ARMED_CONFLICT.PDF
HTTPS://WWW.UN.ORG/UNISPAL/DOCUME
N T/GENERAL-ASSEMBLY-10ESSDRAFT-
RESOLUTIONI-L25/
HTTPS://WWW.OHCHR.ORG/EN/HR-
BODIES/HRC/CO-ISRAEL/INDEX
HTTPS://NEWS.UN.ORG/EN/STORY/2023/11
/ 1143432
HTTPS://WWW.REUTERS.COM/WORLD/MID
D LE-EAST/WHAT-WAR-CRIMESLAWS-
APPLY- ISRAEL-PALESTINIANCONFLICT-
2023-11-02/
HTTPS://WWW.GLOBALR2P.ORG/PUBLICATI
ONS/ATROCITIES-PRESENT-PASTAND-
FUTURE-ESCALATING-CRIMESAND-
CONSEQUENCES-IN-ISRAEL-AND-OCCUPIED-
PALESTINE/
HTTPS://UNRIC.ORG/EN/ISRAEL-
PALESTINE- THE-ROLE-OF-
INTERNATIONALJUSTICE/
HTTPS://PUBLICHEALTH.JHU.EDU/2023/THE
- RULES-OF-WAR-AND-HUMANRIGHTS-IN-
THE- ISRAEL-HAMAS-WAR