International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

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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.
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.
The Just Security Podcast Cover Image

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part II — What We Know about U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In

Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to analyze the facts, the law, and implications of U.S. killings in the Caribbean.
Top shot of Pamela Bondi before the Senate Judiciary Committee

What the Senate Judiciary Committee Should Ask A.G. Bondi on Drug Cartel Strikes

Annotated questions Congress should be asking about U.S. military strikes on suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City

Legal Flaws in the Trump Administration’s Notice to Congress on “Armed Conflict” with Drug Cartels

The Trump administration’s “armed conflict” justification, however, is groundless.
Military justice image

US Servicemembers’ Exposure to Criminal Liability for Lethal Strikes on Narcoterrorists

Analysis by former career judge advocate officer and former court-martial prosecutor.

Striking Hamas in Qatar: “Unwilling or Unable”?

Leading legal expert analyzes the Israeli airstrike on Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar.
The Just Security Podcast

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas? What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel

Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane join Tess Bridgeman to unpack what you need to know about the U.S. strike on a purported drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a press conference at the Prime minister's office in Jerusalem on August 10, 2025. (Photo by ABIR SULTAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

More of the Same, But Worse: Netanyahu’s “New” Plan in Gaza

The plan follows a consistent logic: it seeks to deepen territorial control of Gaza while denying the legal consequences that international law attaches to occupation.
Left Side: Rescuers from the Emergency Services of Ukraine extinguish a blaze in the aftermath of a Russian drone strike on a warehouse storing food products on August 9, 2025 in Sloviansk, Ukraine. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images) Right Side: An Israeli army infantry-fighting vehicle (IFV) leaves a cloud of dust as it moves at a position along Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on August 5, 2025. (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

From Ukraine to Gaza: IHL Compliance as a Tool for Preventing Moral Injury

Ukraine's voluntary IHL compliance report provides an opportunity to examine the concept of moral injury in armed conflict - Israel should follow Ukraine's lead.
A wounded resident of a damaged apartment building is treated by medics

Protecting Health Care in Conflict: Lessons from Ukraine for a Global Roadmap

The international community can learn from the Russia-Ukraine War to curb attacks against health care and ensure justice for victims.
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