International Law and the War on Hamas

Asked by the BBC today about the legal perspective on governments going about trying to negotiate the release of hostages and what concessions could be offered, Natasha Hausdorff, of UK Lawyers for Israel, highlighted that the context of the current crisis, with over 200 hostages being held, is one of awful crimes committed by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations.

She acknowledged that international law is extremely important in this situation but said there are myths about Israel’s conduct, and those myths have been playing a significant role in the crisis and in the media coverage of it.

From an international law perspective, Israel not only has the right to a robust response but under the convention on the prevention and the punishment of the crime of genocide, it also has an affirmative obligation, like the rest of the signatories to that convention, to make sure that ‘never again’ means ‘never again’.

The full interview here: