If international law is meant to protect civilians equally, why does its enforcement often appear uneven? This Dispatch examines Gaza and Lebanon through the principles of international humanitarian law, civilian protection, and accountability, exploring how perceptions of selective enforcement affect the credibility of the international legal system.
Tag: Geneva Conventions
Civilian Protection Under Occupation: Legal Fragmentation and Enforcement in the West Bank
The challenge in the West Bank is not the absence of legal protections under international law, but the persistent gap between formal protections and consistent enforcement.”
Lebanon on the Edge: Escalation and Civilian Risk in a Regional Conflict
Escalation across borders does not remain contained—it expands the geography of civilian risk.”
Holding Assad Accountable
When accountability is delayed, the risk is not only injustice for victims—but the normalization of atrocity crimes in future conflicts.”
Starvation, Hunger, and Famine in IHL
Starvation is not collateral damage—it is a weapon that destroys lives, violates law, and signals the need for immediate accountability.”
Collective Punishment as a War Crime—Legal Prohibition and Contemporary Application in Gaza
Collective punishment targets populations, not perpetrators, and in doing so violates a core principle of international humanitarian law.”
Genocide and War Crimes – Legal Distinctions, Evidentiary Standards, and Accountability in Conflict
All genocide is an atrocity crime, but not all atrocity crimes meet the legal threshold of genocide.”
Bashar al-Assad’s Syria: State Violence, Protracted Conflict, and the Limits of Resolution
What began as a domestic uprising evolved into a protracted conflict sustained by external support, fragmented opposition, and limited diplomatic leverage.”
Protection of Civilians: International Humanitarian Law and the Limits of Protection in Modern Conflict
The protection of civilians is not a conceptual ideal—it is a legal obligation repeatedly tested, and too often undermined, in modern conflict.”