Navigating the Legal Complexities of Urban Warfare

The laws of war govern the initiation and conduct of armed conflict. What can be legitimately targeted? What constitutes a war crime? The laws of war provide answers to these questions and others. They apply everywhere, but there are unique considerations in certain environments—especially in cities. The hostilities in Gaza over the past several weeks offer a case in point. To examine the laws of war and their application in urban areas, and to specifically explore the case of Gaza, John Spencer is joined in this episode by General Charles Dunlap, a retired major general and former deputy judge advocate general of the US Air Force who is now a professor of the practice of law and executive director of the Center on Law, Ethics, and National Security at Duke Law School.