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What international law has to say about the Israel-Hamas war
How far does the right of self-defence go? The rules of war are more complex and less restrictive than commonly understood.
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Smoke rising from the Gaza Strip during an Israeli bombardment on Oct 29.
PHOTO: AFP
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As Israel extends its ground offensive against the Hamas militant organisation in Gaza, one refrain is heard around the world: Nothing in international law – not even the Oct 7 murder by Hamas of 1,400 Israelis, many of them defenceless civilians – justifies the bloodshed Israel is now inflicting on the Palestinians.
The plea comes not only from Israel’s traditional critics but also from the Jewish state’s closest friends.
