An Omni-Crisis in International Law: Iran, Israel and Gaza

The Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University recently hosted a thought-provoking webinar titled "An Omni-Crisis in International Law: Iran, Israel and Gaza." Chaired by Professor Siobhán Wills, the session brought together leading legal scholars and human rights defenders to examine what many described as a breakdown of the international legal order. Panelists included Dr. Roua Al Taweel, Professor Marko Milanovic, Dr. Susan Power, Sahar Francis, and Dr. Thomas Hansen. Dr. Ali Imran participated on behalf of the Saint Pierre Center for International Security (SPCIS).

Dr. Roua Al Taweel opened the discussion with a powerful assessment of how international law has historically functioned more as a tool of imperial control than justice. She described the ongoing violence in Gaza, the West Bank, southern Lebanon, and Syria as part of a long-standing pattern of settler colonial expansion by Israel. Al Taweel argued that the current crises expose the international legal system rather than signify its breakdown, pointing to the systematic starvation in Gaza, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and indiscriminate violence. She criticized the UN’s inability to act due to U.S. vetoes, questioning the legitimacy of a system that protects aggressors while claiming moral authority.

Professor Marko Milanovic delved into the legality of the Israeli-American strikes on Iran, analyzing them through the lens of jus ad bellum and jus in bello. He challenged the self-defense narrative under Article 51 of the UN Charter, noting a lack of imminent threat from Iran and warning against the expansion of preemptive self-defense doctrines. Milanovic underlined the illegality of targeting Iranian nuclear scientists who were not directly participating in hostilities and cautioned against conflating Iran’s problematic policies with justification for military force. He emphasized that despite the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, international law must still guide action and accountability.

Susan Power from Al-Haq provided a detailed chronology of Israel’s escalating actions in Gaza, describing a deliberate and systematic effort to alter demographics through forced displacement and the denial of humanitarian aid. She highlighted statements from Israeli officials that indicate intent to permanently remove Palestinians, turning Gaza into rubble. Power emphasized the destruction of infrastructure, targeting of food lines, and use of military tactics that have resulted in massive civilian casualties. She also exposed how Israel prevents international oversight by banning aid agencies and journalists, raising alarms of an unfolding genocide with over 57,000 Palestinians killed since October 7.

Sahar Francis, a Palestinian human rights lawyer, addressed the collapse of the rule of law in Israeli prisons, particularly regarding Palestinian detainees. She detailed systematic torture, mass arrests, administrative detention without trial, and degrading conditions, especially after October 7. Francis emphasized the misuse of international legal concepts by Israeli courts to justify abuses, creating what she called a facade of legality. She called on the international community to impose sanctions, enforce arms embargoes, and dismantle the apartheid regime to prevent further erosion of international law.

Dr. Thomas Hansen concluded the webinar with a sobering reflection on the broader implications for the global order. He criticized the silence of international law in the face of clear violations by powerful states and the complicity of European governments in supporting unlawful military actions. Hansen warned that the selective application of law undermines the very norms established after World War II, risking global legal collapse. He called for urgent public engagement and political will to restore the rule of law and prevent the normalization of impunity.

The webinar left participants with a clear message: the international legal system is at a critical crossroads. Whether it collapses into irrelevance or is reclaimed as a tool for global justice depends on the willingness of the international community to uphold its principles universally, not selectively.