187. The absence of unified international action
The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights reports that 18,592 children have died in Gaza, civilian casualties are increasing in Ukraine, and there is an epidemic of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The study titled War Watch warns that due to the scale of violations and the absence of unified international action, international humanitarian law is currently at a critical breaking point.
The result is based on the War Watch’s survey of 23 armed conflicts over the past 18 months, during which more than 100,000 civilians were killed, and acts of torture and rape were committed with almost no consequences.
The laws of armed conflict were significantly developed after World War II through the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Its primary goal was to safeguard civilians from the effects of civil wars and interstate conflicts.
Let us consider the recent major conflict in Gaza, where Israel continuously targeted the Palestinian territory with airstrikes and ground operations throughout the two-year war following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.
Research indicates that Gaza’s population decreased by approximately 254,000 people. By the end of 2025, the total number of children killed was 18,592, along with around 12,400 women.
The second is Ukraine, where Russian drone attacks have targeted civilians, killing thousands, and millions of homes have lost power and other utilities.
The report notes that sexual violence occurs in nearly every conflict. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, almost all parties have been involved in widespread sexual violence. Victims, predominantly women and girls, range in age from infants to 75 years old.
In Sudan, survivors described being gang-raped by RSF fighters, with abuse lasting hours or days and, at times, occurring in front of family members.
The report argues that, despite the Geneva Conventions mandating all countries to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law in all circumstances, there is a growing gap between these treaty obligations and reality, leading to more war crimes happening.
The War Watch authors propose a series of safeguards to try to reduce the number of war crimes.
They involve implementing and enforcing a ban on arms sales by any country where there is a clear risk that the weapons or ammunition delivered could be used to commit or support serious violations of international humanitarian law.
A second proposal involves banning unguided gravity bombs and inaccurate long-range artillery in populated areas, as well as limiting the use of drones and AI targeting systems against civilians.
It also advocates for the systematic prosecution of war crimes and emphasizes the importance of providing sufficient political and financial backing for both the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and national war crimes tribunals.
Surprisingly, several major powers, such as the US, Russia, China, Israel, and India, are not signatories to the ICC.
I think atrocity crimes continue to occur because previous cases were tolerated, leading to a complete breakdown of international humanitarian law.
These problems must be resolved, but is anyone paying attention?