A survey of 23 global conflicts has revealed that more than 100,000 civilians have been killed over the past 18 months, while compliance with international humanitarian law has reached a “tipping point”.

The War Watch survey, conducted under the supervision of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, covers the period from July 2024 to the end of 2025. The report highlights the war in Gaza as one of the most troubling areas in this “epidemic” of violence, while also documenting serious violations in Sudan.

Lead author Stuart Casey-Maslen said: “Crimes of atrocity are being repeated because previous ones were tolerated. Our actions – or inaction – will determine whether international humanitarian law disappears altogether.”

In Gaza, local authorities report that since the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip in October 2023, 18,592 children and 12,400 women were killed. The overall population of the area has declined by about 254,000 people, a 10.6 percent drop compared to pre-conflict projections, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in the world. Even after a ceasefire reached at the end of last year, civilian casualties have continued.

In Sudan, after the fall of the city of El-Fasher in October 2025, numerous cases of collective violence by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including in the presence of relatives, have been reported.

The survey points out: “We do not know exactly how many civilians have been killed during armed conflicts in 2024 and 2025, but the number is over 100,000 in each of the two years.” It adds that serious violations of international humanitarian law have been committed “on a large scale and with rampant impunity”.

The report calls on states to respect the Geneva Conventions and the laws of armed conflict, protecting civilians in all circumstances. It also proposes several policy measures to reduce the number of victims, including banning the export of weapons to countries where there is a clear risk that they will be used for serious violations of humanitarian law, limiting the use of drones and artificial intelligence in civilian areas, and banning untargeted bombs or inaccurate artillery.

The survey also calls for “systematic prosecution of war crimes” and says the international community should provide more political and financial support. for the International Criminal Court. /message

Source: prizrenpost