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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3,546 Articles
A crowd swirls around a blaze set in front of a blue-green solid metal gate inscribed with the name of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO. A few palm fronds are seen in the foreground, and stone walls flank the gate in the background.

The United Nations and a World in Pain

The U.N.’s survival depends on how it positions itself between the elephant and the mouse, in South America and the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and beyond.

The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Israel’s Obligations Towards UNRWA and Other International Organizations in the Occupied Territories: Key Issues

Unpacking the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on Israel's obligations towards the UN and others to provide humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza.
Crew members of the US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) are pictured at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on September 02, 2025. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on September 1, 2025, that eight US military vessels with 1,200 missiles were targeting his country, which he declared to be in a state of "maximum readiness to defend" itself. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

The Caribbean Strikes and the Collapse of Legal Oversight in U.S. Military Operations

Congress and the public must do more to address the dangerous pressures imposed on servicemembers and defend the guardrails that protect both U.S. forces and democracy.
A woman cleans the memorial of a victim at the site of the Nova Festival to mark the 2nd anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks on October 07, 2025 in Re'im, Israel. Various commemorations are taking place around Israel to mark the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks in Israel and the Gaza border area on October 7, 2023. During the attacks, 251 hostages were taken and around 1,200 people were killed, making it the deadliest attack in Israel's history. In response to the attacks, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza, which has so far killed more than 67,000 people and displaced around 90% of the enclave's population of 2.1 million. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

When Sexism Endangers Lives: In Israel, Sidelining Women Comes at the Cost of Security

The October 7th massacre and unprecedented war in Gaza compel Israel to rethink its conception of security. It must include a gender-based analysis.
A man stands in front of military vehicles

As Europe Rearms, Learn from the Pentagon’s Efforts to Modernize Civilian Protection

European militaries can adapt and operationalize civilian protection as they increase defense spending to protect themselves against Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L)

Roosevelt’s Weak Hand and Trump’s Strong One in Eastern and Central Europe: Will Trump Play His Good Cards?

While President Trump hasn't fully sided with Putin, he hasn't used his favorable strategic position as history shows he could to end Russia's war on Ukraine.
The Just Security Podcast Cover Image

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part III

Tess Bridgeman is joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to assess the latest strikes, the brief detention of two survivors, where the campaign may be headed, and what…
Palestinians rally around aid trucks which entered from the Karem Abu Salem crossing, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 12, 2025, as a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions holds in the besieged territory. A Gaza ceasefire was holding for a third day on October 12, ahead of a US-proposed hostage-prisoner exchange and a summit aimed at charting a path to peace after two years of war. (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)

Implementing the Gaza Ceasefire

The ceasefire in Gaza faces many challenges and is currently threatened by serious violations. What can we learn from the experience of ceasefires elsewhere?
A US Marines' Lockheed Martin F35-B jet prepares to land at José Aponte de la Torre Airport, formerly Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, on September 13, 2025, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. President Donald Trump is sending ten F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of his war on drug cartels, sources familiar with the matter told AFP on September 5, as tensions mount with Venezuela over Washington's military build-up in the Caribbean. The planes will join US warships already deployed to the southern Caribbean as Trump steps up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States accuses of leading a drug cartel. The Trump administration recently carried out a drone strike in the southern Caribbean against a boat that had left Venezuela and was suspected of transporting drugs. Eleven people died in the attack. The president claimed that the vessel was operated by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP) (Photo by MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Attacking Drug Cartels in the Territory of Another State

The U.S. operations conducted to date against suspected members of drug cartels stretch the applicable international law rules and their interpretation beyond recognition.
A person touches a digital screen

Embedded Human Judgment in the Age of Autonomous Weapons

A new framework for autonomous weapons shows that real control depends on embedded human judgment across design, command, and operation.
A mother walks with her daughters outside a building

Global Fragility Act 2.0? Amid a Possible Bipartisan Revival, a Chance to Make U.S. Peace Efforts More Effective

If the administration seizes this moment, GFA 2.0 could help the U.S. prevent costly wars and compete effectively with rivals abroad.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s War with the Rules of Engagement

Hegseth’s attack on the ROE demonstrates a dangerously limited – and legally incorrect – view about these rules and what they are for.
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