The relocation of Palestinians from Gaza is regularly raised by Israel in the wake of the outlandish Trump’s Riviera Plan. The US President proposed in February 2025 a dystopian project to resettle Palestinians in neighboring countries and transform the enclave into a luxurious coastal resort. A month later, Israel's Security Cabinet established a new agency within the Defense Ministry to “enable safe and controlled passage of Gaza residents for their voluntary departure to third countries.” This prompted the condemnation of many countries and a warning from the UN secretary general, António Guterres, that “it is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.” While being politically appealing, the reference to ethnic cleansing may raise more questions than answers from a legal angle, given the controversies surrounding this term. A more straightforward normative frame lies in the prohibition of forcible transfer under international humanitarian law (IHL), as grounded in customary law and reaffirmed in the universally ratified Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.
International Criminal Law
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The Universal Obligation to Arrest Netanyahu and Gallant: Ending State Officials’ Immunity Saga with respect to grave breaches of IHL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made two trips in April without being arrested: one to Hungary and the other to the United States (US). While commentators criticized Hungary for failing to arrest Netanyahu, arguing that as a state party to the International Criminal Court (ICC), it had a duty to do so (the ICC initiated non-compliance proceedings),…
Brussels Court Rules: Some Colonial Crimes May Amount to Crimes Against Humanity
On December 2, 2024, Brussels’ Court of Appeal found the Belgian State guilty of crimes against humanity for the abduction of mixed-race children during the colonial rule in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Court ruled in favour of five women born to a black mother and a white father who were forcibly removed from their families…
Trial in Absentia Under the Bangladesh International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973
Introduction Following mass student protests and a violent crackdown that killed at least 1,400 people, Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year authoritarian rule as Prime Minister of Bangladesh ended on 5 August 2024 (here, here, here). Amid unprecedented public outrage, she fled to India, and an interim Government led by Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus…
The Conclusion of Mongolia’s Proceedings before the International Criminal Court: Implications on Non-Cooperation
On 18 March, the Pre-Trial Chamber II (PTC II) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) rendered a decision on the ‘Request for Reconsideration of the “Decision on Mongolia’s Requests for Leave to Appeal, Temporary Stay of the Proceedings, and Related Matters”’ filed by Mongolia on 2 December 2024. In essence, the Chamber denied the state party…