Wikipedia

Draft:Hiba Qasas

Hiba Qasas
Hiba Qasas, Geneva, 2025
Born
Nablus, West Bank
Alma materUniversity of Pavia
OccupationsPeacebuilder; Executive Director
EmployerPrinciples for Peace Foundation
Known forFounding Principles for Peace;
convening Uniting for a Shared Future

Hiba Qasas (born 1980) is a Palestinian-Swiss peacebuilder and the Founding Executive Director of the Principles for Peace Foundation, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Born in Nablus in the West Bank, she spent nearly two decades at the United Nations before leading the Principles for Peace initiative from 2020 and establishing the independent Principles for Peace Foundation in 2023.[1][2]

Her work has focused on peace process design, conflict prevention, women’s leadership, Track 1.5 and Track II dialogue, and Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.[3] She convenes the Uniting for a Shared Future coalition, an Israeli Palestinian initiative bringing together more than 550 leaders from politics, security, business, finance, civil society, media, and public life. In 2025 and 2026, Swiss and European media reported on her role in Geneva based discussions linked to international efforts on Gaza.[4][5][6] In 2026, she briefed the United Nations Security Council twice, first on the future of peacebuilding and new paradigms for peace, and later during an open debate on the Middle East, including the question of Palestine.[7][8][9][10][11]

Early life and education

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Qasas was born in 1980 in Nablus, in the West Bank. She grew up during the First Intifada a period marked by school closures, curfews, and restrictions on movement. In a 2025 interview with the Swiss newspaper 24 Heures, she described her childhood as shaped both by ordinary family life and by the violence of the conflict.[12]

At the age of 19, she left the West Bank after receiving a scholarship to study in Italy. She earned a master’s degree in International Cooperation for Development from the University of Pavia in 2001. She later returned to work in her home country, in the West Bank, before pursuing an international career and eventually settling in Geneva, where she became a Swiss citizen.[12][13]

Career

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Early work and United Nations

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After completing her studies, Hiba Qasas worked with Palestinian non-governmental organisations on microfinance and rural development in the West Bank and Jerusalem, before joining the United Nations.[13]

Hiba Qasas spent approximately 18 years at the United Nations in a range of senior roles.[13][14] At the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), she managed programmes in poverty reduction, education, crisis prevention, and peacebuilding in Palestine, and later coordinated crisis prevention and recovery programmes with UNDP's Crisis Bureau, covering country offices across the Arab states and the Horn of Africa.[13] In 2011, she became Head of the Middle East and North Africa Section at UN Women headquarters in New York City, where she worked on the Syrian crisis and convened Syrian women from diverse backgrounds to develop a shared peace agenda.[15] From 2015 she served as UN Women Country Representative in Iraq, and later as Chief of the Crisis Prevention, Preparedness and Response Office of UN Women in Geneva.[13]

Principles for Peace Foundation

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In 2020, Hiba Qasas became Head of the Secretariat of the Principles for Peace Initiative at Interpeace, a Geneva-based peacebuilding organisation.[1] In 2023, Qasas co-founded the independent Principles for Peace Foundation in Geneva with Yves Daccord, and became the Foundation’s Founding Executive Director[2]

Between 2020 and 2022, Principles for Peace led a global participatory process to develop new principles for achieving lasting peace, under the auspices of the International Commission on Inclusive Peace. The process included more than 150 consultations across 61 countries, engagement with thousands of stakeholders from grassroots to state level, and analysis of over 700 research documents.[16]

The resulting eight Principles for Peace were articulated in the Peacemakers' Covenant, launched in early 2023. They received recognition from the United Nations Security Council during a High-Level Open Debate in May 2023 as an important frame of reference for peacebuilding.[17]

Under Hiba Qasas's leadership, Principles for Peace has applied its framework in several active conflict and post-conflict settings. In the Philippines, the organisation presented the Principles as a framework for reflection and monitoring in relation to the Bangsamoro peace process.[18] In Somalia, the Principles were incorporated into the National Reconciliation Framework launched by the government in 2024, and the Foundation later signed a partnership agreement with Somalia’s Ministry of Interior, Reconciliation, and Federal Affairs to support implementation.[19][20][21]

In 2026, Qasas briefed the United Nations Security Council twice in connection with the work of the Principles for Peace Foundation. In January 2026, she addressed an Arria formula meeting on the future of peacebuilding and new paradigms for peace. In February 2026, she briefed a formal Security Council open debate on the Middle East, including the question of Palestine, convened under the United Kingdom presidency.[7][8][9][10][11]

Peace Navigator

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In December 2025, the Principles for Peace Foundation launched the Peace Navigator, an AI powered analytical platform designed to help policymakers, mediators, and peacebuilding actors assess peace engagement quality, anticipate risks, and compare strategic options. The platform draws on data covering 56 fragile and conflict affected countries.[22]

Uniting for a Shared Future

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In March 2024, following the October 7, 2023 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza, Hiba Qasas convened the inaugural meeting of the Uniting for a Shared Future (USF) coalition.[23] The coalition brings together more than 550 Israeli and Palestinian leaders from politics, security, business, finance, civil society, media, and public life. The coalition is organised around principles including mutual recognition of the right of both peoples to self determination and statehood, dignity, safety and security, agency and inclusion, and trust through healing. [23][24]

In a January 2025 essay for the Geneva Policy Outlook, Qasas described Uniting for a Shared Future as a people driven and internationally supported effort to advance a political settlement. She argued that peace had become a security imperative in a destabilised Middle East.[24]

Media reporting on Gaza peace efforts

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In October 2025, several Swiss newspapers — including 24 Heures, Blick, Tribune de Genève, and Tages-Anzeiger, as well as the Belgian daily Le Soir — reported that elements of the Trump administration's Gaza peace plan had been discussed previously in closed-door conferences in Geneva that Hiba Qasas had organised.[12][4][5][6]

The Tages-Anzeiger profile was headlined "Diese Schweizerin arbeitete am Nahost-Friedensplan – obwohl niemand daran glaubte" ("This Swiss woman worked on the Middle East peace plan — even though nobody believed in it").[6] The same article was also published as "Israel Palästina: Hiba Qasas wirkte auf Trumps Friedensplan ein" in Der Bund on 21 October 2025, and as "La Suissesse qui a inspiré dans l'ombre le plan de paix de Trump" in Tribune de Genève.[6] According to these reports, she had held multiple meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and with members of the team of Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, in Washington.[12]

United Nations Security Council briefings

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On 12 January 2026, Qasas addressed a United Nations Security Council Arria formula meeting titled “Advancing New Paradigms for Peacebuilding,” convened by Somalia during its Security Council presidency. The meeting also included remarks by Germany in its capacity as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission. Qasas spoke about implementation gaps in peacebuilding and presented the Peace Navigator and Uniting for a Shared Future as examples of practical tools and coalitions intended to support more durable peace processes.[7]

On 18 February 2026, she briefed the Security Council again during a formal open debate on the Middle East, including the question of Palestine, convened under the United Kingdom presidency. She appeared alongside Nadav Tamir (former Israeli diplomat and executive director of J Street Israel), speaking jointly on behalf of Principles for Peace and the Uniting for a Shared Future coalition. The session was also attended by several foreign ministers and senior representatives.[8][9][10][11] The Jerusalem Post reported that both Hiba Qasas and Tamir delivered briefings at the start of the meeting alongside the UN Under-Secretary-General.[8]

Knesset appearance

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In July 2025, Hiba Qasas participated in the inaugural session of the Knesset Caucus for the Advancement of a Regional Security Agreement in Jerusalem, attending in her capacity as executive director of the USF coalition. During the session she referenced a letter from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas outlining commitments on reform and disarmament in Gaza. Ynet reported on the session, which also featured Syrian civil society figures and Israeli movement leaders.[25]

Written and analytical work

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Hiba Qasas has co-authored a series of analytical pieces on Gaza stabilisation with former Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders and retired Dutch Lieutenant General CJ Matthijssen. These include an op-ed in Haaretz in November 2025 on the risks of forcibly disarming Hamas,[26] a piece in the Jerusalem Post on the challenges facing the Gaza ceasefire,[27] an article in the International Peace Institute's Global Observatory on getting stabilisation right in Gaza (November 2025),[28] and a further Global Observatory analysis on the limitations of the Trump administration's Board of Peace mechanism (February 2026).[29]

In July 2025, she published a solo op-ed in Haaretz calling for Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations to be pursued alongside ceasefire talks.[30]

In January 2025, she published an essay in the Geneva Policy Outlook arguing that peace had become a security imperative in a deteriorating Middle East.[24]

Media profile

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Television and broadcast

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Hiba Qasas appeared on CNN's Amanpour programme on 14 August 2025, in a segment on Israeli-Palestinian bridge-building alongside retired Israeli Air Force General Nimrod Sheffer.[31] She has appeared on France 24 to discuss France's recognition of Palestine,[32] and on RTS in an interview on the Gaza peace plan.[33]

On 26 February 2026, she appeared on Fox News Radio's All-Star Panel alongside Nadav Tamir to discuss common ground between Israelis and Palestinians.[34]

She appeared in the Swissinfo Inside Geneva podcast in an episode on women in peace processes, in conversation with Sara Hellmüller of the Geneva Graduate Institute. In that discussion she noted that women represented only 10 per cent of members of peace negotiation teams in 2023 and described their exclusion as "systemic."[3] A companion Swissinfo article published in March 2026, "Who's missing in the peace process?", quoted her at length on the same themes.[35] She also appeared in another Swissinfo podcast on peacebuilding in the context of the Ukraine conflict.[36]

Views on peacebuilding

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Qasas has argued that peacebuilding must be understood through power, politics, incentives, legitimacy, and public trust, rather than through technical process alone. In her 2026 TED Talk, she said that international peacemaking has often “overly professionalised peace” and relied on a familiar model of mediation, dialogue, elections, inclusion mechanisms, roadmaps, conferences, and reports.[37] She argued that while such work can be important, it often mistakes process for progress when it does not build the legitimacy, aligned self interest, and public backing needed for peace to hold.  

In the same talk, Qasas described legitimacy as a “felt experience” rooted in governance, public services, dignity, safety, and daily life. She argued that without those conditions, a peace agreement can become “a lid on a boiling pot,” appearing stable until unresolved pressures produce renewed violence. Her approach links peacebuilding to realpolitik, arguing that durable peace depends not only on moral claims, but on the organisation of power, incentives, and political self interest.  

Qasas has framed this approach as “principled pragmatism,” which she described in the TED Talk as “self interest with a spine.” She argued that in a world where power politics and transactionalism have returned, peacebuilding should not counter power with idealism alone, but should align self interest with principled political outcomes.  

On the Israeli Palestinian conflict, Qasas has argued that the status quo is unsustainable because it delivers neither security to Israelis nor dignity and self determination to Palestinians. In her TED Talk, she described her method for convening Israeli and Palestinian leaders as a sequence of “self interest, transaction, recognition, humanity,” which she called STIR.[37]

Academic affiliations

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Hiba Qasas is a visiting fellow at the University of Sydney and the European School for Advanced Studies in International Development. She co-leads the IDEAL Society (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Action, Leadership) initiative, supported by Harvard University and the University of Sydney, which focuses on enabling women's leadership.[14]

She also serves on the board of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform[38] and on the board of La Tour en Communs, a Swiss foundation.[39]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Camille Delattre, "Hiba Qasas. A Palestinian 'Peacebuilder'," Observatoire du Multilatéralisme, 4 July 2023. https://observatoire-multilateralisme.fr/publications/hiba-qasas/
  2. 1 2 "Our History," Principles for Peace. https://principlesforpeace.org/our-history/
  3. 1 2 "Inside Geneva: women in peace," Swissinfo, 2026. https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/international-geneva/inside-geneva-women-in-peace/91182635
  4. 1 2 "Gaza: La Suissesse Hiba Qasas derrière le plan de paix de Trump," Blick, 22 October 2025. https://www.blick.ch/fr/suisse/gaza-la-suissesse-hiba-qasas-derriere-le-plan-de-paix-de-trump-id21346636.html
  5. 1 2 "Hiba Qasas, la Suissesse qui influence le plan de paix de Trump pour Gaza," Le Soir, 27 October 2025. https://www.lesoir.be/707388/article/2025-10-27/hiba-qasas-la-suissesse-qui-influence-le-plan-de-paix-de-trump-pour-gaza
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Diese Schweizerin arbeitete am Nahost-Friedensplan – obwohl niemand daran glaubte," Tages-Anzeiger, October 2025. https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/israel-palaestina-hiba-qasas-wirkte-auf-trumps-friedensplan-ein-182238535391
  7. 1 2 3 "Hiba Qasas Highlights Principles for Sustainable Peace at UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting," Principles for Peace, January 2026. https://principlesforpeace.org/hiba-qasas-highlights-principles-for-peace-at-un-arria-formula-meeting/
  8. 1 2 3 4 "UN Security Council calls urgent meeting to discuss recent Israeli West Bank policies," Jerusalem Post, 18 February 2026. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-887108
  9. 1 2 3 "Anti-Israel 'obsession,' Sa'ar says before UN Security Council meeting," Jewish News Syndicate, 18 February 2026. https://www.jns.org/world/anti-israel-obsession-saar-says-before-un-security-council-meeting
  10. 1 2 3 "Une trêve sans paix: Gaza et la Cisjordanie à l'épreuve d'une nouvelle initiative diplomatique," UN Geneva, 18 February 2026. https://www.ungeneva.org/fr/news-media/news/2026/02/116013/une-treve-sans-paix-gaza-et-la-cisjordanie-lepreuve-dune-nouvelle
  11. 1 2 3 "UK to convene Palestinian and Israeli organisation leaders at the UN," The National, 18 February 2026. https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2026/02/18/uk-to-convene-palestinian-and-israeli-officials-at-the-un/
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Hiba Qasas: elle a influencé dans l'ombre le plan de paix de Trump," 24 Heures, 22 October 2025. https://www.24heures.ch/hiba-qasas-elle-a-influence-dans-lombre-le-plan-de-paix-de-trump-899452409554
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ms Hiba Qasas," World Innovation Summit for Education. https://www.wise-qatar.org/biography/hiba-qasas/
  14. 1 2 "Hiba Qasas," Berlin Moot. https://www.berlinmoot.org/people/hiba-qasas
  15. ↑ "Expert's take: Leveraging leadership among Syrian women," UN Women, 28 May 2016. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2016/5/experts-take-leveraging-leadership-among-syrian-women
  16. ↑ "The Principles for Peace Initiative (P4P)," Interpeace Annual Report 2022. https://annualreport.interpeace.org/annual-report-2022/the-principles-for-peace-initiative-p4p/
  17. ↑ "The interview | Hiba Qasas," Genève internationale. https://www.geneve-int.ch/interview-hiba-qasas
  18. ↑ "Principles for Peace launched in Davao City," MindaNews, 11 July 2023. https://mindanews.com/top-stories/2023/07/principles-for-peace-launched-in-davao-city/
  19. ↑ "Under Secretary Zeya's Remarks at a Principles for Peace 'Pioneering Peace 2.0' Event," US Department of State, 19 September 2023. https://2021-2025.state.gov/under-secretary-zeyas-remarks-at-a-principles-for-peace-pioneering-peace-2-0-event-on-new-partnerships-for-conflict-prevention-and-peacebuilding/
  20. ↑ "Explainer: What is the National Reconciliation Framework of Somalia," UNDP Somalia, May 2024. https://www.undp.org/somalia/blog/explainer-what-national-reconciliation-framework-somalia
  21. ↑ "A New Path to Peace," Africa Defense Forum, December 2023. https://adf-magazine.com/2023/12/a-new-path-to-peace/
  22. ↑ "Principles for Peace Foundation launches Peace Navigator for peacebuilding," Media India EU, 12 December 2025. https://mediaindia.eu/technology/principles-for-peace-foundation-launches-peace-navigator-for-peacebuilding/
  23. 1 2 "Uniting for a Shared Future," Principles for Peace, 12 July 2024. https://principlesforpeace.org/usf-event/
  24. 1 2 3 Hiba Qasas, "Winners at a Losing Game: In a Burning Middle East, Peace is a Security Imperative," Geneva Policy Outlook, 29 January 2025. https://www.genevapolicyoutlook.ch/winners-at-a-losing-game-in-a-burning-middle-east-peace-is-a-security-imperative/
  25. ↑ Rizik Alabi and Gabriel Colodro, "'Unprecedented moment for peace': Arab voices at Knesset call for regional security," Ynet / The Media Line, July 2025. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjjikqy8xg
  26. ↑ Hiba Qasas, Bert Koenders, and Lt. Gen. CJ (Kees) Matthijssen, "Forcibly Disarming Hamas Will Be a Disaster. But Peacekeeping Experts Have an Alternative," Haaretz, 10 November 2025. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-11-10/ty-article-opinion/.premium/forcibly-disarming-hamas-will-be-a-disaster-but-peacekeeping-experts-have-an-alternative/0000019a-6d23-d66b-adba-ff23ea3a0000
  27. ↑ Hiba Qasas, Bert Koenders, and Lt. Gen. CJ Matthijssen, "Gaza's ceasefire at a crossroads: the challenge of stabilization and peace," Jerusalem Post. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-873109
  28. ↑ Hiba Qasas, Bert Koenders, and Lt. Gen. CJ Matthijssen, "Getting Stabilization Right in Gaza," IPI Global Observatory, 10 November 2025. https://theglobalobservatory.org/2025/11/getting-stabilization-right-in-gaza/
  29. ↑ Hiba Qasas, Bert Koenders, and Lt. Gen. CJ Matthijssen, "From Ambiguous Governance to Stabilization Failure in Gaza: The Limits of the Board of Peace," IPI Global Observatory, February 2026. https://theglobalobservatory.org/2026/02/from-ambiguous-governance-to-stabilization-failure-in-gaza-the-limits-of-the-board-of-peace/
  30. ↑ Hiba Qasas, "Don't Stop at a Gaza Cease-Fire. Now Is the Time for Israeli-Palestinian Peace," Haaretz, 14 July 2025. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-07-14/ty-article-opinion/.premium/dont-stop-at-a-gaza-cease-fire-now-is-the-time-for-israeli-palestinian-peace/00000198-0368-d947-a7f8-c77eb7d40000
  31. ↑ CNN Amanpour transcript, 14 August 2025. https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ampr/date/2025-08-14/segment/01
  32. ↑ "Hiba Qasas on FRANCE 24 – France's recognition of Palestine," France 24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTcJr45QIc4
  33. ↑ "L'intégralité de l'interview de Hiba Qasas," RTS. https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/lactu-en-video/video/lintegralite-de-linterview-de-hiba-qasas?urn=urn:rts:video:908a06e0-1a1e-3a54-93f7-68041fc1bbca
  34. ↑ "Common Ground: Creating Lasting Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians," Fox News Radio, 26 February 2026. https://radio.foxnews.com/2026/02/26/common-ground-creating-lasting-peace-between-israelis-and-palestinians/
  35. ↑ "Who's missing in the peace process?" Swissinfo, March 2026. https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/humanitarian-aid/whos-missing-in-the-peace-process/91186736
  36. ↑ "Creating peace in Ukraine: live podcast discussion," Swissinfo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfVWuEhYTJg
  37. 1 2 Qasas, Hiba (2026-05-26). The missing ingredient in every peace deal. Retrieved 2026-05-28 – via www.ted.com.
  38. ↑ "Governance". www.gpplatform.ch. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
  39. ↑ "Tab Summary - FOCUS, Fondation La Tour en Communs". www.fundraiso.ch (in Swiss French). Retrieved 2026-05-28.
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