offmarugujarat@gmail.com
Military Objective or Civilian Object? The Italian National Cybersecurity Agency’s Status in Case of Armed Conflict
The increasing reliance of States on cyber infrastructure for both civilian and military purposes has generated renewed debate on the protection of such infrastructure under international humanitarian law (IHL). The Italian National Cybersecurity Agency (Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale, ACN), established to safeguard national cyber resilience, plays a critical role in the defense of Italy’s […]
The ICJ Obligations of Israel Advisory Opinion – How Indispensable Is the UN After All?
Editors’ note: This post is part of a series featuring analysis of the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on Obligations of Israel as an Occupying Power. The introductory post to the series by Sean Watts is available here. In late October 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered another Advisory Opinion (AO) in […]
Belligerent Reprisals Series – Changing the Paradigm to Rein in Retaliation in Armed Conflict
Editors’ note: This post introduces a series related to Francesco Romani’s book Belligerent Reprisals from Enforcement to Reciprocity published by Cambridge University Press. In its centuries-old development, modern international humanitarian law (IHL) has progressively distanced itself from the idea of reciprocity. This trend has culminated in recent years, when the claim that the behaviour of […]
Belligerent Reprisals Series – Reprisals with Weapons
Editors’ note: This post is part of a series related to Francesco Romani’s book “Belligerent Reprisals from Enforcement to Reciprocity” published by Cambridge University Press. Francesco’s impressive work on belligerent reprisals and this series are welcome reminders that, in truly exceptional circumstances, the law of armed conflict (LOAC) allows the commission of acts that would […]
In Honor of Françoise Hampson – Parsing Proportionality
Editors’ note: This post is part of a series to honor Françoise Hampson, who passed away on April 18, 2025. These posts recognize Professor Hampson’s work and the significant contribution her scholarship made to our understanding of international law. It is a professional honor and personal pleasure to offer this essay in honor of my […]
Belligerent Reprisals Series – Enforcement, Reciprocity, and the Elusive NIAC Dimension
Editors’ note: This post is part of a series related to Francesco Romani’s book “Belligerent Reprisals from Enforcement to Reciprocity” published by Cambridge University Press. Few institutions in international humanitarian law (IHL) arouse as much unease as belligerent reprisals. This unease stems from the tension between a legal order that claims adherence to humanity […]
Belligerent Reprisals Series – Concluding Thoughts
The posts by Stuart Casey-Maslen and Veronika Bílková (in addition to previous ones written on the topic by Michael Schmitt and Lindsay Moir) have shed light on several aspects associated with belligerent reprisals, stressing the many difficult questions that continue to interrogate scholars, militaries and decision-makers alike. In this concluding post, I will reflect on […]
Reservations in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Validity
Twenty-three States have appended some declarations when ratifying or acceding to the 1949 Geneva Conventions (GCs). Not all these declarations embody reservations. According to the law of treaties, the term “reservation” designates “a unilateral statement, however phrased or named, made by a State when ratifying, acceding or succeeding to a treaty, whereby it purports to […]
The ICJ Obligations of Israel Advisory Opinion – Qualifying Israel as an Occupying Power in the Gaza Strip
Editors’ note: This post is part of a series featuring analysis of the 2025 International Court of Justice advisory opinion on obligations of Israel in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The introductory post to the series by Sean Watts is available here. In its 2025 Advisory Opinion on Obligations of Israel in […]
Tripwires to Trojans: Updating the Law of Booby-traps for the Digital Age
Articles of War has featured discussion of the law of armed conflict (LOAC) rules concerning booby-traps (see, e.g., here, here, here, and here). All have been based in the land domain. I am interested in the application of the idea in the cyber domain. Under the Protocol on the Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps […]