Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP)
Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP) (also styled UCP in Palestine) is a fiscal project of Nonviolence International (NVI) that claims to provide nonviolent protection to civilians in the Palestinian territories. The group sends delegations of paid volunteers to Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem who claim to observe and de-escalate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. UCPiP’s website states the group was formed in response to “an urgent call from Palestinian communities for safety, international presence and protection from genocide.” 1 2
Contents
In addition to its pro-Palestinian efforts, UCPiP also opposes the law enforcement efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), comparing the agency’s law enforcement operations to a political occupation. 3
Background
Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine began as a study conducted by Nonviolence International on the prevalence of violence in the Palestinian territories. The study concluded that a delegation of unarmed volunteers could mitigate certain tensions and violence between Palestinians and Israelis in border regions between Israel and the Palestinian territories. Based on the report, UCPiP was officially founded in 2024 as a fiscally sponsored project of NVI with the goal of sending 100 “unarmed civilian protectors/accompaniers” to the territories to provide what the group considers a “protective presence.” 4 5 2
Activism
Activities in the Palestinian Territories
The central activity of Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine is to send delegations of paid unarmed civilians from the United States and Europe to the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem to observe and provide protection to Palestinians. UCPiP provides the delegates training in situational de-escalation tactics before sending them to the Palestinian territories. 2 6
UCPiP sent its first delegation of six paid volunteers to Ras al-Auja, a village located in the Jordan Valley. The volunteers stay in the village to observe and help shield local inhabitants against what the group considers “settler violence” by Jewish Israelis living in the region. 7 8 As of April 2026, UCPiP is raising funds to send a full delegation of at least 100 paid volunteers to live in the area. 2
One of UCPiP’s goals is to establish partnerships with other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the Palestinian territories to expand its efforts. The initial assessment study that began UCPiP highlighted over 20 groups with which it could partner, including the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. 4 9 UCPiP is also a member of the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP). 10
Anti-ICE Activities
In March 2026, UNCPiP co-founders Amira Musallam and Mel Duncan co-hosted a webinar entitled “Solidarity in Action: Resisting Occupation in Palestine & Minnesota,” comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations to what the group considers an “occupation” in Gaza and the West Bank. 3
Nonviolence International
Nonviolence International is the fiscal sponsor of Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP). 5 11 Founded in 1989 by Palestinian activist Mubarak Awad, NVI is a pro-Palestinian advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. The group claims to promote peace, education, and nonviolent action in political and social issues across the world. It is also a non-governmental organization in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (UN). 12
In 2010, NVI sponsored multiple ships as part of the broader Free Gaza Movement (FGM), a coalition of pro-Palestinian activists and organizations that, from 2008 through 2011, tried to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. 13
In addition to UCPiP, Mennonite Action, a pro-Palestinian protest group, is another fiscally sponsored project of NVI. 14
Leadership
Amira Musallam is a co-founder and director at Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP). She directed the initial Nonviolence International study that led to the founding of UCPiP. Previously, Musallam worked as an independent consultant on USAID projects. She also formerly worked as a project manager at the Holy Land Trust, a Palestinian nonprofit organization and fiscally sponsored project of NVI. In 2025, Masallam received the Peacemaker in Action Award from the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management from Bethlehem University and her master’s degree in strategic planning and fundraising from Arab American University. 15 9 16 17 18
In 2012, Musallam joined a “flytilla” protest, attempting with hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to fly to Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport to protest the alleged occupation of Palestinian territories. Most activists were stopped from boarding Israel-bound flights at European airports after Israeli authorities blacklisted 500 people. They held protests instead in European airports, including Manchester, Brussels, and Paris. Israel’s then-Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch stated the protest was unsuccessful, and Ben-Gurion airport travel was uninterrupted. 19 20
Finances
Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine is a fiscally sponsored project of Nonviolence International. 11 In 2024, NVI reported $3,655,064 in total revenues, $3,018,567 in total expenses, and $1,884,586 in total assets. That year, the group reported $29,752 in government grants. 21