Israel at War: Laws of Armed Conflict

On 6:30 AM on October 7, 2023, Israel woke up to the nightmare of an extensive horrific attack by thousands of Hamas terrorists. On the 18th day of the war, Israeli authorities report that 1,400 Israelis were murdered and over 5,431 wounded. 222 Israeli hostages were officially reported held by Hamas in Gaza, among them 30 children under the age of 18. The number of hostages is expected to rise even higher, as over 100 Israelis are still reported missing. There are over 125,000 internally displaced Israelis, and to date more than 7500 rockets were fired by Hamas toward Israel. As Israel continues to reel from the horrors of October 7, the IDF is reportedly completing preparations for a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. In this podcast, INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Col. (res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, senior researcher and head of the INSS Law and National Security Program. Together they discuss the rules that govern Israel’s combat in the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian aid in Gaza, the Israeli hostages, the connection between antisemitism and support for Hamas, and the role of the international community in the context of the unfolding events.