Legal professionals representing the private, public and non-governmental organization (NGO) sectors, gathered last week in Tel Aviv for the first session in a series of six sessions, as part of an annual seminar on International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This is the seventh year of the seminar, initiated jointly by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI).

During the first session, participants expressed their interest in enriching their knowledge of IHL. Some want to work in the field, as well as connect with other professionals and be exposed to its different aspects.

As the seminar series unfolds, the participants will meet with leading legal experts – from academia, government and civil society. The sessions will include legal analysis, as well as the consideration of and case studies pertaining to issues related both to the Israeli context and to global issues.

As part of the ICRC’s mission, the seminar aims to raise awareness and promote understanding regarding IHL, and to the unique role of IHL in protecting civilians during armed conflicts. “The relevance of IHL has been challenged lately”, said Karen Loehner, ICRC Head of Legal Department in Israel and the Occupied Territories. “For this, we try to reach out to humanitarian professionals, policy makers and lawyers – in order to increase the understanding and knowledge of this topic.”