Background Summary

Introduction

Wars, sanctions, shifting alliances, and massive flows of civilians have created precarious political, economic and humanitarian situations in the region that includes Iraq, its neighbors, and Lebanon. Issues of ethnicity, religious and political affiliation, and nationality have been significant factors throughout the course of

• the total breakdown of the peace process in the Middle East and the effects of increasing incidence of violence towards Israeli and Palestinian civilians;
  
  
• the damage to and disruption of Australian and international aid projects in the current conflict as well as destruction of Palestinian national and civil society institutions;
  
  
• widespread breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law particularly relating to obstruction of lifesaving medical activities; the killing of civilians; destruction