How international law applies to war, and why Hamas and Israel are both alleged to have broken it

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Hamas and Israel have both been accused of breaking international law during their latest conflict. The rules of armed conflict are governed by a set of internationally recognized laws and resolutions, including the Geneva Conventions. They forbid the deliberate targeting of civilians and set out how prisoners of war and residents under occupation should be treated. Hamas killed hundreds of civilians and abducted scores more when it attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7. Israel has bombarded Gaza and told hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to leave their homes. The United Nations says it is collecting evidence of war crimes by all sides in the current conflict. But holding perpetrators to account for war crimes has often proved difficult.