Global Humanitarianism Between Ideals and Realities: Lessons from Gaza’s 2023 Crisis

Following the 2023 war in Gaza, the humanitarian system became paralyzed in the face of unprecedented realities. This study aims to investigate the system-level causes that led to the failure of humanitarian action in Gaza amid the dominance of Western models over humanitarian space. By employing a qualitative methodology, the study is grounded in semi-structured interviews, and it draws analytically on Hugo Slim’s model of humanitarian idealism and realism. It also engages with critical perspectives in the interpretation of the data, particularly those related to critical humanitarianism. The article suggests that the failure stems from a profound disjuncture between humanitarian system’s ideals and crisis-related realities, rooted in power imbalances, un-humanitarian agendas and self-perception illusions of humanitarian actors, and dehumanization practices against Palestinians living in Gaza. The study concludes by summarizing the key findings and deliberating the implications for future research.