Could America fight its enemies without breaking the law?

Take Russia. In Ukraine and Syria the country has disdained the laws of war and frequently hit civilian targets without compunction: on July 8th a children’s hospital in Ukraine’s capital was bombed. Israel is also criticised for its conduct in Gaza as it fights Hamas. Some 38,000 Palestinians have been killed. Yet Israel insists on the legality of its strikes on schools, hospitals and refugee camps. Meanwhile, in Sudan conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, has flattened swathes of the country. More than 750,000 people are at risk of famine.