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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
President Trump, Vice President Pence, and National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster have lunch with Service Members on July 18, 2017.

The Generals Aren’t the Problem; An Ill-Informed Commander-in-Chief Is

Peter Bergen's new book shows how Trump sows divisions in the armed forces and undercuts the military ethos for inclusive decision-making.
Jan. 2, 2020
Turkish soldiers drive American-made M60 tanks in the town of Tukhar, north of Syria's northern city of Manbij, on October 14, 2019, as Turkey and its allies continue their assault on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria.

The Inevitable Day of Reckoning in Syria

President Trump's decision to disengage with the YPG and ultimately side with Turkey was rash and immoral, yet fundamentally inevitable.
Dec. 23, 2019
A banner calling for the release of Austin Tice, an American journalist held captive in Syria, is displayed at the Newseum in Washington, DC on November 2, 2016. The sign reads, “Held captive for being a journalist since August 2012.” And “#FreeAustinTice”

Taking Stock at 40: The UN Convention Against the Taking of Hostages

A product of its time, the Convention emphasized preventing future terrorist attacks by punishing perpetrators. But now, several decades later, it’s clear that stopping hostage…
Dec. 20, 2019
Sudanese protesters stage a demonstration on December 3, 2019 calling upon authorities to deliver justice to those killed in demonstrations against the now ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir and during the weeks long sit in outside the military headquarters after Bashir's fall.

“Freedom, Peace, and Justice”: The Surprising Success of Sudan’s Glorious Revolution

What a difference a year makes. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first protests that would eventually topple the brutal dictatorship of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir.…
Dec. 19, 2019
US President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands in the Oval Office of the White House March 25, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Why the Settlements are a Problem for Benjamin Netanyahu

Despite the new U.S. position that West Bank settlements are not "per se" illegal, international accountability for Israeli settlement activity remains a real possibility.
Dec. 19, 2019
The damaged interior of the hospital in which the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity operated is seen on October 13, 2015 following an air strike in the northern city of Kunduz.

Congress Expands Oversight of U.S. Payments for Civilian Deaths

The payments are among the only ways the U.S. military acknowledges and responds to civilian deaths or injuries in its operations, and previous reporting exposed significant gaps…
Dec. 18, 2019
A soldier sits in an U.S. Army helicopter as it flies outside of Camp Shorab on a flight to Camp Post on September 11, 2017 at Camp Shorab in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Hidden Gems: Civilian Casualties and Use of Force Reporting Provisions in the Annual Defense Bill

For all the ways that the NDAA falls short on various human rights issues, there are some bright spots that should not be overlooked.
Dec. 17, 2019 and
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The Application of International Law to Cyberspace: Sovereignty and Non-intervention

A new Chatham House Report discusses how key international law principles apply to States’ cyber operations below the threshold of use of force and makes recommendations to governments…
Dec. 13, 2019
Women and children ride in the back of a truck at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp for the displaced where families of Islamic State (IS) foreign fighters are held, in the al-Hasakeh governorate in northeastern Syria on December 9, 2019.

Rehabilitating the Islamic State’s Women and Children Returnees in Kazakhstan

Many countries are looking at what kind of model Kazakhstan builds with its efforts to reintegrate ISIS returnees, and whether it will be effective. The countries that get this…
Dec. 12, 2019
A guard tower is seen outside the fencing of Camp 5 at the US Military's Prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on January 26, 2017.

D.C. Circuit Considers Limits on Guantanamo Detention

The court will hear oral arguments today in Abdul Razak Ali v. Trump on the central question of whether the Due Process Clause applies to limit the length of detention at Guantanamo…
Dec. 11, 2019
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018.

Trump’s Aim to Go Big on Nuclear Arms Control Should Begin by Extending New START

If President Trump actually seeks to avoid an arms race, maintain a cap on the Russian nuclear arsenal, and create the conditions for follow-on talks with Russia and new negotiations…
Dec. 9, 2019
A Ukrainian serviceman patrols by a destroyed coal mine of Butovka at the front line with Russia-backed separatists not far from the town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region on November 7, 2019.

Warning Signs as Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Resume

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy likely feels the time for a breakthrough is now. The question is at what cost, and whether the West will have his back.
Dec. 4, 2019
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