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.

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3,295 Articles
An American flag flies behind barbed wire fencing at the Office of Military Commissions building

What Just Happened: At Guantanamo’s Migrant Operation Center

Sending anyone from the United States to Guantanamo raises a host of legal, moral, and policy questions.
Photo shows Guzman in the center looking to the right, his hands apparently handcuffed behind him, flanked by a member of the military in fatigues and helmet to the right and another in a dark uniform and helmet to the left.

The Dangerous Sweep of Trump’s Plan to Designate Cartels as Terrorist Organizations

Bringing foreign cartels under the umbrella of terrorism may seem appealing, but it is unnecessary and dangerous.
The photo shows the herder in the cener of the frame, facing the camera and holding a stick behind him over his shoulders. He's standing in an arid environment, with a few scraggly trees and mostly emaciated livestock in the background.

Surge of Hate Speech in the Sahel, Including on WhatsApp, Signals Atrocity Risk

The threat is greatest in central Mali, but persecution of the Fulbe (Fulani) across the region seeds fertile ground for ethnic cleansing.
The photo shows an older woman in a head scarf at the right of the photo in the foreground, against the backdrop of a wrecked interior of a home.

What Just Happened: Trump’s Termination of West Bank Settler Sanctions

The reversal of Biden measures against Israeli settlers leaves few tools in the event an escalation threatens further conflict in the region.
Aerial view of Spanish words "Donde Estan?"

Confronting Challenges to the Prosecution of Enforced Disappearances Before Domestic Courts

Addressing widespread impunity and various failed efforts to establish criminal responsibility for enforced disappearance.
A Syrian family waits with luggage at the Turkish border

Syria’s Uncertain Path: Challenges of Return, Stability and Trust

Research has consistently shown that while many Syrians have a long-term aspiration to return, persistent challenges have rendered their aspiration unachievable in the short-term.
The photo shows the back of a health worker in the foreground wearing a shirt with donor logos on the back, speaking with the woman and her daughter in the background in a small room.

‘Elections Have Consequences’: Trump and Rubio’s Foreign Aid Halt Will Hit the World’s Most Vulnerable

Reviews of programs in new administrations don't require such damaging, destructive, and likely unconstitutional freezes.
Men wearing military uniforms sit at a table.

Stopped Security Assistance: From Counter-Narcotics to Combating Human Trafficking Programs

The Trump administration's "stop work" order on U.S. foreign assistance may hurt its foreign policy goals and national security priorities.
A wide view of the General Assembly plenary meeting on the responsibility to protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. On the screens are Alice Nderitu, UN Special Adviser on Genocide.

For Atrocity Crimes Prevention, Better UN Strategic Leadership is Crucial

The United Nations must do better in exercising strategic leadership in atrocity crimes prevention and response.
Two men embrace near collapsed buildings

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire: Temporary Reprieve or Sustainable Peace?

The implementation of the second stage of the agreement, or even just continued calm, likely depends on whether President Donald Trump is prepared to intervene to keep the peace.
The photo shows two women, one on the left wearing a blue mesh hair covering and the one on the right a pale pink, broad-brimmed hat, apparently sorting a green vegetable over a crate in a small, white-painted room with narrow shelves on the wall behind them.

Stop-Work Order on US Foreign Aid Puts China First and America Last

President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio's 90-day halt endangers health, economic and other programs, leaving gaps for China to fill.
In this aerial view, destroyed buildings in the suburb of Jobar on January 18, 2025, in Jobar, Syria

Syria Needs the International Criminal Court

The Assad atrocities have long served as a painful example of the limits of international justice, but there is now a chance to change that.
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