Israel-Palestinian conflict – how laws of war apply

+ theft of Native American lands; incongruous Amish tourism US Edition - Today's top story: How the 'laws of war' apply to the conflict between Israel and Hamas [View in browser]( US Edition | 22 October 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [Delivering aid during war is tricky − here’s what to know about what Gaza relief operations may face]( - [Hezbollah alone will decide whether Lebanon − already on the brink of collapse − gets dragged into Israel-Hamas war]( Journalists know that getting the language and nuance right on complex or sensitive stories is tricky. There’s perhaps no issue more challenging in this regard than the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Any minor mistake or omission of fact can open you up to charges of bias by one side or the other, and even what facts are relevant in the long-running conflict can be contested. The Conversation just finished a two-day retreat, during which this issue was one of the many we discussed. How can we ensure our stories remain nonpartisan, accurate and engaging while providing readers with context on the history and key issues in the region from a variety of scholarly perspectives? There’s no easy answer, but for us it means doubling down on our core mission: to inform readers impartially with evidence-backed analysis and keeping opinion transparent and to a minimum, with advocacy out of it. And we’ll continue to strive to find a wide range of perspectives on what’s going on. The “laws of war” explainer we published last week [is a good example of threading this needle](. The story, written by Robert Goldman, sprang from an exchange between the American University law professor and international editor Matt Williams over what laws actually cover the war between Israel and Hamas. It turns out it’s extremely complicated, but Goldman found a way to provide readers with useful context in a straightforward and factual manner. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks Warring parties are duty-bound to minimize civilian casualties. Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images [How the ‘laws of war’ apply to the conflict between Israel and Hamas]( Robert Goldman, American University A scholar of the laws of war explores the complex issues raised by Israeli bombing of Gaza in retaliation for the slaughter of its citizens. - [Why is space so dark even though the universe is filled with stars?]( Brian Jackson, Boise State University An astronomer explains why space looks so dark despite containing 200 billion trillion stars. - [House speaker paralysis is confusing – a political scientist explains what’s happening]( Charles R. Hunt, Boise State University In the 1850s, a fight over the speakership took nearly two months and 133 rounds of voting. But for nearly a century, the majority party in the House has unanimously supported its leader. No longer. - [Gangsters are the villains in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ but the biggest thief of Native American wealth was the US government]( Torivio Fodder, University of Arizona The Osage murders of the 1920s are just one episode in nearly two centuries of stealing land and resources from Native Americans. Much of this theft was guided and sanctioned by federal law. - [Amish culture prizes peace − but you wouldn’t necessarily know it from a stop in Amish Country tourist towns]( Susan L Trollinger, University of Dayton Much of the tourism industry that’s sprung up around Amish areas says more about Americans’ own identity than Amish values, a scholar writes. Editors' picks A bowl of chicken soup typically contains protein, vegetables and soothing broth. Westend61 via Getty Images [Does chicken soup really help when you’re sick? A nutrition specialist explains what’s behind the beloved comfort food]( Colby Teeman, University of Dayton Grandma swore by it. Now science weighs in on the healing powers of chicken soup. - [A reflexive act of military revenge burdened the US − and may do the same for Israel]( Peter Mansoor, The Ohio State University The US response to 9/11 included a declaration that America would destroy its enemies. The effort took decades, and thousands of lives on both sides, and never really succeeded. - [Biden’s Middle East trip has messages for both global and domestic audiences]( Allison M. Prasch, University of Wisconsin-Madison Until 1906, no US president had ever traveled abroad in office. Then Teddy Roosevelt demonstrated the power of showing up. - [Philadelphia bans supervised injection sites – evidence suggests keeping drug users on the street could do more harm than good]( Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University; Jannet van der Veen, Drexel University; Synøve Nygaard Andersen, University of Oslo; Tony Joakim Ananiassen Sandset, University of Oslo A group of academics look at the global evidence to examine the potential impact of supervised injection sites in Philadelphia and the US. - [Decades of underfunding, blockade have weakened Gaza’s health system − the siege has pushed it into abject crisis]( Yara M. Asi, University of Central Florida Hospitals have been destroyed, and doctors and health care staff killed. Gaza’s health services may take years to recover, warns a Palestinian health specialist. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. Questions this week on Gaza, tchotchkes and Babe Ruth Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](