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.
3,546 Articles
From Secret Law (2001-2024) to None at All (2025-present)
The Trump administration's lethal strikes are the apotheosis of the last quarter century's often always secret and often unreviewable executive branch legal reasoning.
Nicaragua v. Germany: Why Israel is Not an Indispensable Third Party
Analysis of Germany's argument before the International Court of Justice in Gaza case.
Trump’s Nuclear Testing Remark Was a Signal — Not a Strategy
The science is sound, the stockpile is strong, and the call to test a nuclear bomb has no technical foundation. Resuming testing would not make America safer.
Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes
A mock “operational legal review” depicting what a staff judge advocate’s advice should have been prior to the first reported strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel.
Much Work to Do and No Time to Waste: Mitigating Civilian Harm in an Asia-Pacific Conflict
Civilian harm is not entirely avoidable during armed conflict, but it can be anticipated and its severity limited. In Asia-Pacific, this depends entirely on steps taken now.
The International Law Obligation of States to Stop Intelligence Support for U.S. Boat Strikes
The only way States can avoid complicity in “arbitrary killings” under international human rights law is to refrain from sharing intelligence that, in part, enables them.
The Political Theater Behind Trump’s “Guns-a-Blazing” Nigeria Threat
Trump’s threat of military intervention in Nigeria may be intended more for domestic audiences and wouldn't address the drivers of the country's conflict.
Ukraine’s Ironclad Security Is Inseparable from Peace
After abandoning nuclear arms for the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine faces existential war -- proof that security “assurances” alone won't be enough now.
A Point of Clarification Re the International Lawyers’ Statement on Gaza
Israeli international law scholars write about their prior letter published by Just Security and a recent article published at Just Security as well.
Walls of Silence, Crumbling Futures: Why the World Must Act on Afghanistan
The credibility of the U.N.'s human rights framework depends on whether it can confront a systematic experiment in gender oppression with more than statements of alarm.
International Lawyers Unite in Joint Statement on Gaza
An eight-point statement signed by 270 international law scholars demonstrates a convergence of views on Gaza and international law.
Sectarian Violence and the Price of Ignoring Transitional Justice in Syria
Sharaa must pursue accountability for both perpetrators of violence against Syrian minorities since Assad's fall, and against former Assad officials complicit in war crimes.