experts
Zaha Hassan
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

about

Zaha Hassan is a human rights lawyer and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research focus is on Palestine-Israel peace, the use of international legal mechanisms by political movements, and U.S. foreign policy in the region. Previously, she was the coordinator and senior legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestine’s bid for UN membership, and was a member of the Palestinian delegation to Quartet-sponsored exploratory talks between 2011 and 2012.

She regularly participates in track II peace efforts and is a contributor to The Hill and Haaretz. Her commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, Salon, Al Jazeera English, CNN, and others.


education
BA, Political Science and Near East Languages and Civilizations, University of Washington, Seattle, JD, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, LLM, Transnational and International Law, Willamette University School of Law
featured work
article
By Endorsing the U.S. Gaza Plan, the UN Security Council Elevates “Rule by Law” Over Rule of Law

Resolution 2803 legitimizes indefinite Israeli control over Gaza in partnership with the United States and facilitates Israel’s plans to block a Palestinian state.

research
A Palestinian Armistice Plan: Charting a Rights-Based Transition for Palestinian-Israeli Peace

A Palestine armistice plan charting a rights-based transition for Palestinian-Israeli peace by The Palestinian Technical Working Group, June 2025

paper
Breaking the Israel-Palestine Status Quo

A new U.S. approach should prioritize protecting the rights and human security of Palestinians and Israelis over maintaining a peace process and attempting short-term fixes.