Killing Civilians for Realpolitik? The Pathetic State of the International System

Prof. Dr. Birgül Demirtaş*

Two conflicts dominate the headlines in our world today: the conflict between Israel and Hamas on the one hand and between Russia and Ukraine on the other. These conflicts have different historical backgrounds, reasons, and parties involved. Each conflicting party has its different position in the global system. However, one commonality stands out: the apparent targeting of civilians by the conflicting parties, resulting in a high number of civilian casualties. According to news sources, more than 40,732 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, the majority of them civilians, including 16,500 children.[1] On the other hand, it is estimated that at least 11,520 civilians have been killed in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.[2]

International law is quite clear about the protection of civilians during conflicts. The Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War dated 12 August 1949 and its two Protocols in 1977 prohibit the conflicting parties from attacking civilians.[3] It is the responsibility of the combatant parties to avoid targeting civilian populations. Both Israel and Russia have signed the 1949 Convention. While Russia has signed both Protocols of 1977, Israel has not.

Responsibility of Russia and Israel Regarding the Geneva Convention

As parties to the Geneva Convention of 1949, Russia and Israel are obligated to protect civilian populations during conflicts. However, the opposite is happening, with evidence showing that they are intentionally targeting civilians, attacking all kinds of civilian buildings, including schools and hospitals. But, both countries deny targeting civilians. The excuses offered by Israeli and Russian authorities for the killing of civilians are strikingly similar: Both the Netanyahu and Putin regime that claim they have no intention of killing civilians, but argue that civilians are being used as “human shields” by combatants in Palestine and Ukraine, making their deaths unavoidable.

Explaining the Targeting of Civilians

How can we explain this tragic situation in which civilians are being killed daily in the 21st century? What drives these states to disregard international law and ethics?

I argue that there are two primary factors contributing to the inhumane policies of the conflicting parties. First, it relates to their status in the international system. Russia, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), is immune from any concerted international action due to its veto power. Israel, while not a permanent member of the UNSC, enjoys a very special relationship with the U.S., another permanent member. This situation highlights the failure of the UNSC, established to maintain global peace and security, to fulfill that function. Instead, some permanent members and their allies use their privileged positions to bypass the basic rules of international law, hiding their illegal actions behind the claim of “human shields.”

“Human Animals” and the Ethics of Starvation

The second factor relates to how civilians in Palestine and Ukraine are portrayed by the administrations in Israel and Russia. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s statement is indicative of how Palestinians are perceived by the Israeli government: “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel—everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.”[4] By categorizing the Palestinian people as subhuman, a minister from the Israeli war cabinet attempts to justify the illegal actions of the Israeli army. This approach has historical roots as well as seen in the speeches of fascist leaders of Europe before and during the Second World War.

Additionally, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed a similar approach, stating, “It is impossible in today’s global reality to wage war—no one in the world would let us starve and thirst two million citizens, even though it may be just and moral until they return our hostages.”[5] The notion that forcing two million people to starve can be “just and moral” underscores the dehumanizing binary created by Israeli politicians. Israeli officials often argue that, although they do not intentionally target civilians, civilian deaths occur because Hamas uses them as human shields. However, these discourses reveal how the Palestinian nation is not regarded equality with the Israelis. This constructed “human” vs. “subhuman” binary is used by the Israeli government to justify the tragic actions that we witness since October 7, 2023.

Questioning Ukrainian Identity and Statehood

In the case of Russia, a different argument is presented. Like Israel, the Russian administration also claims that the Ukrainian military uses civilians as shields. Therefore, it is asserted that civilians are not being targeted by the Russian military, and all civilian casualties result from Ukrainian policy.

However, it should be noted that the Russian leadership denies the existence of a distinct Ukrainian identity and questions its statehood. Russian President Putin has argued, “Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians are all descendants of Ancient Rus, which was the largest state in Europe… Therefore, modern Ukraine is entirely the product of the Soviet era.”[6] This statement reflects how the Putin regime attempts to disregard the agency of Ukrainian citizens and the Ukrainian state.

By labeling the Ukrainian administration as “Neonazis” collaborating with foreign powers and committing “genocide” against the Russian minority in eastern Ukraine,[7] Putin has sought to legitimize the Russian invasion by accusing the other side of provoking the conflict. Israel, by questioning the humanity of Palestinians, and Russia, by questioning the distinct identity and agency of Ukrainians, attempt to portray themselves as blameless while justifying their violent actions.

Conclusion

This commentary has sought to explain the main factors contributing to the high number of casualties in the Palestinian-Israeli and Russian-Ukrainian conflicts. Firstly, it has shown that the privileged status of Russia and Israel on the international stage provides them with a protective shield, which they abuse by violating international law. Secondly, it has demonstrated that dehumanizing the “other” population or questioning its identity and agency is another method used by Israeli and Russian administrations to justify mass killings.

Although the concept of human security is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year after its creation by the United Nations Development Program,[8] great powers and their strategic allies often disregard it in their pursuit of revisionist geopolitical aims. Whether a cosmopolitan international society will emerge that prioritizes human security in global politics remains an important question. If many states do not prioritize the security of human beings, it falls upon the people themselves to bring this issue to the global agenda and ensure its implementation.

*Prof. Dr., Visiting Professor, Cologne Center for Comparative Politics, University of Cologne.

[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker

[2] https://ukraine.un.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/Ukraine%20-%20protection%20of%20civilians%20in%20armed%20conflict%20%28July%202024%29_ENG.pdf

[3] For the full text of the Geneva Convention and Its Protocols see https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.33_GC-IV-EN.pdf and

[4] https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/defense-minister-announces-complete-siege-of-gaza-no-power-food-or-fuel/

[5] https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/06/middleeast/israeli-minister-smotrich-starve-gazans-intl/index.html

[6] en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66181

[7] en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67828

[8] Human Development Report 1994, UNDP, https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdr1994encompletenostats.pdf