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Armed Conflict

Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis on the legal, policy, and strategic dimensions of armed conflict, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, counterterrorism operations, conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, and other armed conflicts across the globe, with a focus on international humanitarian law, war crimes and accountability, mitigating and remedying civilian harm, and the humanitarian impacts of warfare.

Civilian HarmIsrael-Hamas WarRussia-UkraineSudanLaw of Armed Conflict/IHLUse of Force
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3,331 Articles
Palestinian protesters run for cover as Israeli forces fire tear gas canisters during clashes following a demonstration marking the first anniversary of the "March of Return" protests, near the border with Israel east of Gaza City on March 30, 2019.

Extrajudicial Executions from the United States to Palestine 

Israel’s “shoot-to-kill policy,” based on racialization and dehumanization of Palestinians, and the militarized U.S. response to Black uprisings, are the manifestations of…
Aug. 7, 2020
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AFRICOM’s Improved Civilian Casualty Reporting System Still Leaves Gaps for Somalia

Only with more ways to submit reports and the proper followup can the U.S. military start to rebuild trust among communities harmed by its actions.
Aug. 6, 2020
A member of the Syrian Civil Defence (The White Helmet) checks the rubble and debris at a medical centre following reported shelling by the Syrian government, in the Syrian town of Hbeit in the southern countryside of the rebel-held Idlib province on April 30, 2019.

Bashar al-Assad is Criminally Responsible for Syria’s COVID-19 Crisis

Syrians who die as a result of the inaccessibility to treatment or protection against COVID-19 may also result in criminal responsibility.
Aug. 5, 2020 and
Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen on a screen for a virtual Security Council meeting.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (July 25-31)

(Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…
Jul. 31, 2020
A Colombian Army bomb disposal expert gets ready to start the controlled detonation of Chilean-made CB-250K cluster bombs May 7, 2009 at the Marandua military base, Vichada department, Colombia.

Treaty Banning Cluster Munitions Turns 10, but Without the US

This November, Switzerland will convene the milestone Second Review Conference for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Lausanne, but the U.S. is likely to be absent, as usual.
Jul. 31, 2020
A spaceship in space.

A Threat or A Warning: Russia’s Weapons Testing in Space

Are there rules governing the use of weapons in space? A well-established framework of international law centered on the Outer Space Treaty (OST), to which all major spacefaring…
Jul. 31, 2020 and
The ICC seal on a window at the International Criminal Court Building in The Hague. The windows act as mirrors, reflecting more of the ICC complex across from it.

Can the International Criminal Court Hold the Trump Administration in Contempt?

On June 11, President Donald Trump issued an executive order authorizing the imposition of sanctions targeting International Criminal Court officials. This article assesses the…
Jul. 30, 2020
Federal officers deploy tear gas while dispersing a crowd of about a thousand protesters in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on Thursday, July 24, 2020 in Portland, Oregon.

Defund America’s Endless Wars

Dismantling the structures of racist policing at home will require recognizing the continuum of security state violence that connects domestic policing, border enforcement and…
Jul. 29, 2020
Fighters with Afghanistan's Taliban militia stand on a hillside at Maydan Shahr in Wardak province, west of Kabul on September 26, 2008.

Legally Available Options: A Case for Indicting Russian Officers for Providing Material Support to the Taliban

Missing from analyses of potential responses to Russian operations in Afghanistan is the possibility of an indictment against the G.R.U. officers involved.
Jul. 29, 2020

Getting Serious About Protecting Health Care in War

After years of indifference to examining whether its rules of engagement and other operational directives and practices contribute to the scourge of violence against health workers,…
Jul. 28, 2020
Russian and US flags

The Best Way to Improve on New START Is By Extending It

An extension of New START would provide the United States the time and space to negotiate a follow-on arms control accord with Russia, China, and other nuclear powers.
Jul. 27, 2020
Left: Hakeem stands near his tent in the settlement for displaced families, where he lives and works with Oxfam and Right: A’eshah with her family having their lunch.

USAID Has Suspended Aid to 80 Percent of Yemenis: An Appalling Abuse of Humanitarian Principles

USAID has suspended most aid for Yemenis living in territory controlled by the Houthi authorities in Sana’a. The suspension blocks $73 million in ongoing assistance and any additional…
Jul. 22, 2020
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