Israel
365 Articles
Resource: The Israeli Government’s Legal Position on Who is a “Combatant” in the Gaza Conflict [Updated]
There has been a lot of loose talk in the media and by some commentators about the government of Israel’s official position on the definition of who is a lawful target in Gaza.…
Who does the New York Times think is a combatant in Gaza?
There is a strange quality to today’s story by the New York Times on the civilian casualty rate in Gaza (“Civilian or Not? New Fight in Tallying the Dead from the Gaza Conflict”).…
Guest Post: Has Hamas Overplayed Its Lawfare Strategy?
In the current Gaza conflict, the adversaries are employing very different strategies to achieve their operational objectives. Israel is executing a robust military strategy. By…
A Primer on the Laws of War that Apply to the Gaza Conflict
We were about to produce a primer on the law of war framework that governs the ongoing hostilities in Gaza. However, Human Rights Watch has just posted what we think is an excellent…
Letter to the Editor: Elliott Abrams Responds to Sarah Knuckey’s Post on UN Casualty Estimates in Gaza
Prof. Knuckey makes some good points about casualty estimates. Knuckey and I would agree that data is hard to come by in the middle of a war and often even after it is over. For…
The Wrong Reasons to Doubt UN Civilian Casualty Estimates in Gaza
The United Nations’ preliminary estimate that 77 per cent of the 214 individuals killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza are civilians is “almost certainly false,” according to…
Palestine, the Vatican and Accession to International Treaties: Some Ancillary Thoughts
The application to accede to multiple international treaties and international organizations made by President Mahmoud Abbas on April 1st (see full list) has proceeded with…
Newsflash – Swiss Depository accepts accession by Palestine to the Geneva Conventions
Readers will be interested to hear that the Swiss Depository has accepted the instrument of accession of Palestine to the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocol I. As readers…
Letter to the Editor from former Deputy Legal Adviser to Israel’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations
[Editor’s Note: Be sure to see Fionnuala Ní Aoláin’s response to this letter to the editor, which was published on April 11, 2014] In her recent post, Fionnuala Ní…
States, Almost States, Non-State Actors and the Geneva Conventions: Palestinian President Abbas’s attempt to join the Club
[Editor’s Note: Be sure to see the letter to the editor from a former Deputy Legal Adviser to Israel’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations responding to this…
Law of War Conventions that Palestinian President Abbas Intends to Join: Questions Raised
The Palestinian authorities have released the complete list of treaties that they intend to join. According to the statement, President Abbas “signed letters of accession”…
10 Things the United States has done right in Supporting a Peace Process: Lesson for the Middle East
In the recent flurry of attention to U.S. sponsored peace talks in the Middle East and Syria the critics have been plentiful. Much ink has been split on the preponderance of lost…