The Law of War

often in or near populated areas. In its early statements the Israeli military denied using
any form of white phosphorus, saying "We categorically deny the use of white
phosphorus". It eventually admitted to its limited use and stopped using the shells,
including as a smoke screen. The Goldstone report investigating possible war crimes in
the 2009 war accepted that white phosphorus is not illegal under international law but
did find that the Israelis were "systematically reckless in determining its use in build-up
areas". It also called for serious consideration to be given to the banning of its use as an
obscurant.
2009 Sri Lankan Civil War
There are allegations that war crimes were committed by the Sri Lankan military and the
rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the Sri Lankan Civil War, particularly
during the final months of the conflict in 2009. The alleged war crimes include attacks
on civilians and civilian buildings by both sides; executions of combatants and prisoners
by the government of Sri Lanka; enforced disappearances by the Sri Lankan military
and paramilitary groups backed by them; acute shortages of food, medicine, and clean
water for civilians trapped in the war zone; and child recruitment by the Tamil Tigers. It
is widely accused that the Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapakse (brother of
President Mahinda Rajapaksa) ordered troops under his command to "Kill them All"
when the troops on the grounds asked him for direction for handling the surrendering
Tamil combatants.
A panel of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Ban Ki-moon to advise
him on the issue of accountability with regard to any alleged violations of international
human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the civil war found
"credible allegations" which, if proven, indicated that war crimes and crimes against
humanity were committed by the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tigers. The panel
has called on the UNSG to conduct an independent international inquiry into the alleged
violations of international law. The Sri Lankan government has denied that its forces
committed any war crimes and has strongly opposed any international investigation. It
has condemned the UN report as "fundamentally flawed in many respects" and "based
on patently biased material which is presented without any verification".
2011–Present: Syrian Civil War
International organizations have accused the Syrian government, ISIL and other
opposition forces of severe human rights violations, with many massacres
occurring. Chemical weapons have been used many times during the conflict as
well. The Syrian government is reportedly responsible for the majority of civilian
casualties and war crimes, often through bombings. In addition, tens of thousands of
protesters and activists have been imprisoned and there are reports of torture in state
prisons. Over 470,000 people were killed in the war by 2017.
Armed conflict
Perpetrator
Syrian Civil War
Syrian Government
Incident Type of Crime Persons Responsible Notes
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