CERL Advisory Council member Mary Ellen O’Connell weighs in on the killing of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, arguing that such assassinations are outside the bounds of what is legal in armed conflict. Yet countries like Israel, Russia, and the United States continue to engage in targeted assassinations as part of their wartime efforts.

Mary Ellen O’Connell is the Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law and Research Professor of International Dispute Resolution—Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame. Read her bio here.

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.