Conflict

18/2/2026: President Trump’s Board of Peace has held its first meeting. The new entity was established by a UN Council resolution to implement the plan to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas. Phase 2 of the peace plan includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, disarming Hamas, and installing a transitional Palestinian administration. It is yet to be seen how useful the board will be in carrying out its Security Council-sanctioned responsibilities in Gaza.

Source: PassBlue

17/2/2026: Despite the increased military brinkmanship, continuing talks could help the US and Iran step back from the edge, build trust and perhaps develop better political relations. Unfortunately, as time passes with no deal, both sides harden their negotiating starting points, making a deal less likely.

Source: The Conversation

13/2/2026: A report released by the UN human rights office investigates the RSF assault on the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur last October. The report concludes that the atrocities committed amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. Sudan's national army and the Rapid Support Forces militia have been fighting for control of the country for almost three years. 

Source: UN News

12/2/2026: A report by Oxfam finds that conflicts across Africa have dominated UN Security Council resolutions over the last decade, despite no African country having a permanent seat on the Council. Decisions without proper African representation too often fail to deliver peace or address root causes.

Source: Oxfam International

11/2/2026: The US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (collectively known as the Quad) have announced they are close to finalising a detailed initiative aimed at ending Sudan’s civil war, with preliminary approval from the two warring parties. Continued military escalation and the Sudanese army’s refusal to legitimise the RSF undermine prospects for de-escalation.

Source: The Conversation

9/2/2026: Reported plans for the US Department of Defense to purchase cluster munitions from Israel weaken global norms that protect civilians from the widely banned weapons. The US has also recently rolled back restrictions on the use of antipersonnel landmines, another inherently indiscriminate weapon.

Source: Human Rights Watch

8/2/2026: With the end of the New Start treaty, we face a potentially catastrophic nuclear war. Leaders in Washington are pushing ahead with a massive weapons upgrade. In the history of the arms race, citizen pressure and grassroots political action have been effective in prompting weapons limitation and disarmament.

Source: The Guardian

2/2/2026: An authoritative survey of 23 armed conflicts over the last 18 months has concluded that international law seeking to limit the effects of war is at breaking point, with more than 100,000 civilians killed, while torture and rape are committed with near impunity. The laws of armed conflict were developed extensively after the end of the second world war.

Source: The Guardian

1/2/2026: The New START treaty, the last remaining arms control agreement between the US and Russia, has expired, removing the last restraints on an accelerating arms race. A more encouraging milestone relates to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which has been in force for five years as of Jan. 22. Inspired by the land mines and cluster munitions bans, the idea is that as more countries join the TPNW, clinging to these weapons will become less acceptable as the diplomatic and reputational costs of doing so will become greater.

Source: PassBlue

19/1/2026: Israel has suspended nearly every established aid group engaged in Gaza, from Médecins Sans Frontières to World Vision. These organisations refused to sign on to new registration rules explicitly designed to exert Israeli control over the aid response. Instead of upholding the law, the international community has lent its support to US President Trump’s farcical peace plan for Gaza.

Source: The New Humanitarian