Newly Graduated LLM Alumnus Publishes a Condensed Version of his LLM Paper in Prominent Blog

14 November 2023

Our LLM alumnus Ioannis Bamnios – who graduated in October from our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights – published the main and very innovative argument of his LLM paper on the ‘conduct of hostilities in occupied territories’ in the leading blog Articles of War of the US Military Academy at West Point.

Direct Civilian Participation in Hostilities and its Application Within the Gaza Strip

His blog post forms part of Article of War 2023 Symposium on Israel-Hamas and aims to shed light on the circumstances under which civilians in occupied territories lose protection from direct attack. In this post, Ioannis Bamnios explores direct civilian participation in hostilities and its application within the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, analyzing inter alia mutual exclusivity of hostilities and occupation.

‘My blog post is a shorter version of my LLM paper on the direct participation in hostilities in places where there are no ongoing hostilities (in the IHL sense of the term) and applies the findings of the paper to the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The knowledge I acquired during the drafting of my LLM paper enabled me to write this piece and provide a legal response to one of the issues that arose after the recent eruption of hostilities in Israel and Gaza’ explains Ioannis Bamnios.

‘Our alumnus developed in his LLM paper an innovative and nuanced solution to a question of great contemporary relevance for IHL and war victims. Now he succeeded in having his core idea published in a blog very much read by military lawyers all around the world. I can only hope that those involved in an occupation will follow his advice’ underlines his LLM paper supervisor Professor Marco Sassòli.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

UN 79th General Assembly Side Event News

IHL at the Centre of High-Level Event at the 79th UN General Assembly

1 October 2024

During the 79th UN General Assembly Ministerial Week a high-level side event on the obligation to respect and ensure respect for International Humanitarian Law took place.

Read more

IHL in Focus Launch Meeting News

Opening Expert Meeting For 'IHL in Focus' Project

22 April 2024

To kick-start the activities of the 'IHL in Focus' project and refine its approach, a two-day expert meeting of representative practitioners and scholars from different disciplines was convened.

Read more

Short Course

The Law of Non-International Armed Conflicts

6-21 February 2025

This online short course discusses the protection offered by international humanitarian law (IHL) in non-international armed conflicts (NIACs) and addresses some problems and controversies specific to IHL of NIACs, including the difficulty to ensure the respect of IHL by armed non-state actors.

Read more

Neutrotechology Project

Neurotechnology and Human Rights

Started in August 2023

This project addresses the human rights implications stemming from the development of neurotechnology for commercial, non-therapeutic ends, and is based on a partnership between the Geneva Academy, the Geneva University Neurocentre and the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee. 

Read more

Computer screen with warning: civilian infrastucture: do not attack Project

The Digitalization of Armed Conflict

Started in September 2020

This project will explore humanitarian consequences and protection needs caused by the digitalization of armed conflicts and the extent to which these needs are addressed by international law, especially international humanitarian law.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2023

published on July 2024

Read more