Civilian Harm

× Clear Filters
170 Articles
This picture taken from a position in southern Israel, on the border with the Gaza Strip, shows destroyed buildings in the besieged territory on May 27, 2025. (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images) 

The Illegality of Israel’s Military Offensive in Gaza

Analysis of jus ad bellum with Israel’s stated objectives for its current military operations in Gaza.
Women reflect in dirty water

Justice for Children in a Future Crimes Against Humanity Treaty

States should incorporate child-specific provisions within a future Crimes Against Humanity Convention to better protect children's rights.
A doctor walks through the halls in a bombed Gaza hospital

State’s Program for Responding to Civilian Harm Caused by American Weapons Falls Short, But Should Not Be Abandoned

A well-resourced CHIRG could help prevent U.S. arms from being used unlawfully, and offer a credible response to critics of America’s global weapons transfers.
People go past partially destroyed apartment blocks in Yarmouk camp outside Damascus, Syria

Paying for Return: Why Assad’s Assets Must Fund Syrian Repatriation

Assad’s frozen, sanctioned assets should be structured into reparation programs to help Syrian families afford rebuilding their lives.
A group of Ukrainian women demonstrate against war rape, holding posters.

Ukraine’s Use of Technology in Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes Investigations

Technology can help bring justice for Ukrainian survivors of sexual and gender-based crimes, but the process is not without challenges.
a ukrainian passport with a sticky note that reads "don't touch ukrainian people"

Targeting a Nation: Russian Airstrikes and the Crime of Persecution in Ukraine

Legal analysis shows how Russia’s actions meet the threshold for the crime of persecution under international law.
A picture remains on the wall of a kindergarten building that was damaged during the Russian invasion in Kharkiv's Saltivka district on January 20, 2025 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

How to Eliminate a Nation: Russia’s Crime of Extermination in Ukraine

Extermination is often overshadowed by or conflated with genocide, it is no less egregious in its scope and effects. Prosecuting the crime of extermination is essential.
People walk outside the Supreme Court building in Jerusalem on April 8, 2025.

Judging Deprivation – Humanitarian Aid in Gaza Before Israel’s Supreme Court and Beyond

A recent decision from Israel's Supreme Court exposes some of the underlying tensions and inadequacies within international humanitarian law in countering conflict-induced civilian…
Sudan Marks Two Years of War podcast screenshot

The Just Security Podcast: Sudan Marks Two Years of War

Sudan marks two years of war this week. Where does the country and the international community trying to support it go from here?
Two soldiers walk past a destroyed building in Khartoum.

Two Years of War in Sudan: From Revolution to Ruin and the Fight to Rise Again

As Sudan marks two years of brutal war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, the country stands at a dangerous crossroads.
The Binnenhof (Dutch Parliament) on Hofvijver lake in the Hague city, South Holland, Netherlands

The Netherlands Apologizes for Involvement in Hawija Airstrike and Lays Out Further Reforms

The Dutch Cabinet's release of a list of commitments on mitigating civilian harm is a major step forward for transparency.
IMAGES (left to right): People search through buildings, destroyed during Israeli air raids in the southern Gaza Strip on November 7, 2023 in Khan Yunis, Gaza (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images); A fireball erupts during Israeli bombardment of Gaza City on October 9, 2023 (Photo by Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images); The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the UN, holds public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa in the case South Africa v. Israel on 11 and 12 January 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court (Photo by the International Court of Justice).

Just Security’s Israel-Hamas War Archive

Just Security's collection of more than 110 articles covering the Israel-Hamas War and its diplomatic, legal, and humanitarian consequences.
1-12 of 170 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: