Institute for Palestine Studies Publishes Paper on Israel’s Distortion of International Humanitarian Law to Justify Genocide in Gaza Israel
The Institute for Palestine Studies has published a critical paper titled “Humanitarian Camouflage: Israel Rewrites the Laws of War to Legitimize Genocide in Gaza.” Authored by Luigi Daniele, Nicola Perugini, and Francesca Albanese, the paper examines Israel’s appropriation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to justify actions in Gaza that amount to genocide. The study, featured in the latest issue of Current Issues in Depth (2024), sheds light on how Israel’s settler-colonial agenda systematically violates Palestinians’ rights and redefines Gaza’s population as a “terrorist” threat.
The 35-page report critiques Israel’s legal-political strategy, which distorts IHL to justify mass expulsions, civilian infrastructure destruction, and extreme violence. According to the authors, these actions align with genocidal intent while being framed as compliant with the laws of war. This manipulation of IHL, they argue, masks atrocities and normalises Gaza’s portrayal as a territory housing terrorists, thus enabling mass violence under the guise of legitimate military operations.
The 35-page report critiques Israel’s legal-political strategy, which distorts IHL to justify mass expulsions, civilian infrastructure destruction, and extreme violence
The paper raises serious concerns about the global implications of Israel’s tactics, warning that the misuse of IHL could serve as a precedent, allowing future genocides to be presented as lawful warfare.
About the Authors:
- Dr. Luigi Daniele is a scholar at Nottingham Law School, specialising in war crimes law, genocide studies, and the law of targeting. His research focuses on the misuse of legal concepts like collateral damage in warfare.
- Nicola Perugini, of the University of Edinburgh, examines the politics of human rights and international law, particularly regarding Palestine. His work delves into the ethics of violence and the role of civilians in anti-colonial struggles.
- Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, is a renowned expert on forced displacement and Palestine refugees. She has advised the UN and authored Palestine Refugees in International Law (2020), providing key insights into the plight of displaced Palestinians.
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