• Israel: Strengthen White Phosphorus Phase-Out
    May 18, 2013
    Israel should strengthen an announced reduction of its military use of white phosphorus munitions by banning all use of “air-burst” white phosphorus munitions in populated areas without exception. Human Rights Watch has also urged all countries to make white phosphorus illegal when used as an incendiary weapon.
    Press release
  • Syria: New Air, Missile Strikes Kill Civilians
    Apr 26, 2013
    New Syrian government air and missile strikes are causing high civilian casualties in opposition-controlled areas of Aleppo in violation of the laws of war. A Human Rights Watch team in northern Aleppo province has investigated recent attacks that killed scores of civilians and destroyed dozens of civilian homes without damaging any apparent opposition military targets.
    Press release
  • Arms: New Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
    Apr 23, 2013

    Civil society will lead the way to press governments to ban fully autonomous weapons

    Press release
  • US: Ban Fully Autonomous Weapons
    Apr 16, 2013

    Temporary US restrictions on lethal fully autonomous weapons should be strengthened and made permanent.

    Press release
  • Syria: Aerial Attacks Strike Civilians
    Apr 10, 2013
    The Syrian Air Force has repeatedly carried out indiscriminate, and in some cases deliberate, air strikes against civilians. These attacks are serious violations of international humanitarian law (the laws of war), and people who commit such violations with criminal intent are responsible for war crimes.
    Press release
  • US: Move Drone Strike Program to Military
    Mar 21, 2013
    A reported plan to transfer the United States targeted killing program from the Central Intelligence Agency to the Defense Department could improve transparency and accountability, though a number of other concerns with the program would remain.
    Press release
  • Syria: Mounting Casualties from Cluster Munitions
    Mar 16, 2013

    Syrian forces’ use of cluster munitionsin residential areas is causing mounting civilian casualties. An initial review of available information has identified at least 119 locations across Syriawhere at least 156 cluster bombs have been used in the past six months.  

    Press release
  • United States: The Time has Come to Ban Landmines
    Mar 1, 2013

    The Obama administration, which is poised to make a decision on future US policy on landmines, should at long last embrace the ban on antipersonnel landmines.

    Press release
  • Syria: Army Using New Type of Cluster Munition
    Jan 14, 2013

    Syrian forces are using notoriously indiscriminate rockets that contain explosive submunitions. Evidence indicates that Syrian forces used BM-21 Grad multi-barrel rocket launchers to deliver cluster munitions in attacks near the city of Idlib in December 2012 and in Latamneh, a town northwest of Hama, on January 3, 2013.

    Press release
  • Israel/Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Media
    Dec 20, 2012
    Four Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in Gaza during the November 2012 fighting violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations
    Press release