State of the World from NPR cover image

State of the World from NPR

Are Countries Ignoring the Laws of War?

Nov 1, 2024
Greg Myrie, NPR's correspondent for Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, sheds light on the troubling breaches of international laws of war. He discusses how civilians are increasingly vulnerable as norms are ignored. Myrie highlights specific violations, like the military use of protected sites and controversial actions such as the seizure of Ukrainian children. His insights reveal the complexities and challenges faced by human rights organizations in seeking accountability for these ongoing war crimes.
06:57

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Recent armed conflicts are witnessing alarming violations of international humanitarian laws aimed at protecting civilians, raising significant concerns among human rights groups.
  • The increasing documentation of war crimes, particularly in Ukraine and Gaza, highlights the urgent need for a functional international justice system to ensure accountability.

Deep dives

Civilian Suffering and War Crimes

Armed conflicts often lead to significant civilian suffering, which has prompted the establishment of international laws designed to protect non-combatants. However, recent reports indicate a concerning trend where these laws are increasingly being ignored in conflicts like those in Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine. Human rights organizations have documented a staggering number of war crimes, with one Ukrainian group citing over 78,000 incidents of abuse, including heinous acts such as torture and sexual violence. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is described as perhaps the most documented war in history, raising challenges for accountability in transforming evidence into a functional international justice system.

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