This volume arose from a desire to advance academic discourse and reflection on the broader subject of prolonged occupation, in light of the permanent character, and resulting implications of, the 55 year Israeli administration of the Palestinian Territories. The roots of the volume lie in a 2018 academic conference on "The Threshold from Occupation to Annexation". The present volume moves that discussion forward, updating and widening the range of topics addressed. The result is a collection of thought-provoking contributions by a wide range of scholars on the challenging and critical issue of prolonged occupation and international law, ranging from colonialism, apartheid, the illegality of occupation and potential international criminal liability. "This volume reminds us forcefully that international law is alive and vibrant and can, with imagination and in concert with social movements, move us forward in the struggle for justice in Palestine, and elsewhere. It is a signal achievement." George Bisharat, The Honorable Raymond L. Sullivan Professor of Law, University of California Hastings College of the Law. "Into today's "deepening environment of political inertia" (co-editor Nada Kiswanson) comes this searing collection of essays examining international legal frameworks and legal responsibilities closely and tangibly informed by the painful realities of Palestinian life under prolonged Israeli occupation. The editors, authors, convenors and everyone else involved are to be congratulated on producing a volume that will surely become a seminal resource for anyone serious about studying what Palestine has to teach us about international law." Lynn Welchman, Professor, School of Law, SOAS University of London. "Scholarly and comprehensive, this impressive collection of essays by renowned experts...offers a tour d'horizon of the fundamental legal issues raised by Israel's prolonged occupation of Palestine as well as potential remedies that can confront the illegalities." William A. Schabas, Professor of International Law, School of Law, Middlesex University.

The international law of occupation is the body of law, under international humanitarian law, that regulates the actions of states that gain effective control over territory during armed conflict. This body of law seeks to balance between several interests, which are often in tension with one another. Its most fundamental principle is that occupation does not confer sovereignty, and that the powers of the occupant are limited to that of a temporary trustee. What empowers the occupant to maintain public order and safety, including that of its own forces? How are the rights of the absent sovereign protected, as well as the right to self-determination, and the individual rights of the local population? In this new volume of the Elements of International Law series, Eyal Benvenisti and Eliav Lieblich seek to provide an entry point to the topic by elaborating on general principles and key rules. The book explores the tensions and dilemmas which characterize the modern law of occupation, while highlighting, when needed, interpretations which best conform with the law's object and purpose. All in all, this book aims to guide relevant actors - whether states, academics, NGOs, or individuals under occupation - when seeking to assess or to challenge state actions in occupied territories.

This volume arose from a desire to advance academic discourse and reflection on the broader subject of prolonged occupation, in light of the permanent character, and resulting implications of, the 55 year Israeli administration of the Palestinian Territories. The roots of the volume lie in a 2018 academic conference on "The Threshold from Occupation to Annexation". The present volume moves that discussion forward, updating and widening the range of topics addressed. The result is a collection of thought-provoking contributions by a wide range of scholars on the challenging and critical issue of prolonged occupation and international law, ranging from colonialism, apartheid, the illegality of occupation and potential international criminal liability.

International law is increasingly applied in domestic courts. This can result in situations where the courts are being asked to rule on politically sensitive issues, especially issues which involve actions during armed conflicts. Domestic courts do not show a uniformity of approach in addressing cases concerning international humanitarian law, and can often be seen to differ markedly in their response. The book argues that different national courts demonstrate different functional roles in different countries. These can be situated on a scale from apology to utopia, which can be set out as follows: (1) the apologist role of courts, in which they serve as a legitimating agency of the state's actions; (2) the avoiding role of courts, in which they, for policy considerations, avoid exercising jurisdiction over a case; (3) The deferral role of courts, in which courts defer back to the other branches of the government the responsibility of finding an appropriate remedy (4) the normative application role of courts, in which they apply international humanitarian law as required by the rule of law; and (5) the utopian role of courts, in which they introduce moral judgments in favour of the protection of the individual, beyond the requirements of the law. The book investigates the rulings of five key domestic courts, those of the UK, the USA, Canada, Italy, and Israel, to understand how their approaches differ, and where their practice can be placed on the methological scale. This analysis has been assisted by the author's extensive field work, notably in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Providing a detailed understanding each court's function, the book offers a critical analysis of the courts' rulings, in which both the legal arguments and the political context of cases they have ruled on are examined. The book shows that the functional role of the national courts is a combination of contradictions and mixed attitudes, and that national courts are in the process of defining their own role as enforcing organs of international humanitarian law.

The main theme of this volume of the Yearbook of International Humanitarian Lawis the development and interpretation of international humanitarian law (IHL). It iselaborated upon in several chapters that examine the role of non-state armed groupsin the development and interpretation of IHL, the impact of international criminal lawon the development of IHL, the notion of external non-international armed conflicts,and the regulation of prolonged occupation under international law. The second theme of this volume is dedicated to targeting in armed conflicts. Specifictopics include precautions in attack in urban and siege warfare, the targeting of theIslamic State’s religious personnel in Iraq and Syria, and the targeting of illicit cropsthrough aerial spraying in Colombia. Besides the chapters that address both themes,this volume also contains a Year in Review describing the most important events andlegal developments that took place in 2017. The Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law is the world’s only annual publicationdevoted to the study of the laws governing armed conflict. It provides a truly internationalforum for high-quality, peer-reviewed academic articles focusing on this crucialbranch of international law. Distinguished by contemporary relevance, the Yearbookof International Humanitarian Law bridges the gap between theory and practice andserves as a useful reference tool for scholars, practitioners, military personnel, civilservants, diplomats, human rights workers and students.

Addresses some fundamental issues underlying the regime of belligerent occupation.

7. Scope of the study

Drawing upon previous theories on the relationship between human rights law and international humanitarian law, this book examines on the basis of a series of individual case-studies the new theoretical trend arguing for a merge of these two sets of norms.

Explores the use of armed force in occupied territory under different international law branches.

In this thoroughly updated second edition of what has quickly become the definitive text in the field of international humanitarian law (IHL), leading expert Marco Sassòli evaluates the application of IHL, the way in which hostilities should be conducted against an adversary, and the pertinence of traditional distinctions, such as that between international and non-international armed conflicts.