Non-State actors and warfare

Abstract

This chapter surveys the discourse on the application, interpretation, developments and controversies in relation to the role of non-State actors and warfare. The aim of the chapter is to summarize the main legal issues that arise when assessing the role of non-State actors in warfare, identifying how developments in the armed conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have touched upon these legal issues. Using these situations as examples, the chapter explains what the different legal interpretations are in that respect by placing the legal debates in context and identifies the most relevant controversies. In line with the volume's aim to identify topics for further research, the chapter ends by identifying several related but new topics, advancing on the ongoing academic discourse reviewed, that require further research.