The United Nations has said “there is already clear evidence that war crimes may have been committed” by Hamas and the Israeli military since 7 October and that it is gathering evidence for potential prosecutions. Which laws apply to the Israel-Hamas war? All parties involved in the conflict are governed by a body of law drawn from a system of conventions, treaties and war crimes tribunal rulings known as “international humanitarian law” or the “law of armed conflict”. The law has two key elements. The protection of non-combatants such as civilians or soldiers who have surrendered, and restrictions on the...