In recent hostilities, first in the Gaza Strip and now in Lebanon, the Israeli military has adopted a new modus operandi: issuing blanket relocation directives instructing millions of people to indefinitely leave their places of residence (evacuation orders in Lebanon were discussed here). The apparent objective is to enable Israel to engage an enemy embedded in densely…

Commentators have long observed that international humanitarian law (IHL) — which is intended to limit human suffering in armed conflict — is often invoked by belligerents to legitimize, rather than constrain, conduct harmful to civilians (e.g. here, here, and here). Concerns that expedient interpretations of IHL are undermining its…

Since the beginning of October 2024, the Israeli military has imposed a siege on significant parts of the North Gaza governorate amidst continued attacks and catastrophic humanitarian conditions. More than 100,000 Palestinians have been displaced as a result, while those unwilling or unable to leave have been deprived of water, food, and other indispensable…