Domicide

Notable examples of domicide

Bombing of the Gaza Strip

Bombing of Tokyo

Bombing of Dresden

Bombing of Warsaw

Domicide (from Latin domus, meaning home or abode, and caedo, meaning deliberate killing, though used here metaphorically) is the deliberate destruction of housing by humans in pursuit of specified goals.^[1]^[2] It includes the widespread destruction of a living environment, forcing the incumbent humans to move elsewhere.^[1]^[3]

The concept of domicide originated in the 1970s, but only assumed its present meaning in 2022, after a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal.^[2]^[4]^[5] Rajagopal has argued that international law should be amended to consider domicide to be a war crime.^[6]

^ ^a ^b Porteous & Smith 2001, p. 12.
^ ^a ^b Ahituv, Netta (4 January 2024). "Amid Israeli Destruction in Gaza, a New Crime Against Humanity Emerges: Domicide". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ Sullivan, Becky (9 February 2024). "What is 'domicide,' and why has war in Gaza brought new attention to the term?". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 28 January 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
^ "Report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Balakrishnan Rajagopal (A/77/190) [EN/AR/RU/ZH] - World". Reliefweb. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ ""Domicide" must be recognised as an international crime: UN expert". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024.
^ Rajagopal, Balakrishnan (29 January 2024). "Opinion | Domicide: The Mass Destruction of Homes Should Be a Crime Against Humanity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.

[FOOTNOTEPorteousSmith2001[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidmOwb3IXYfoECqtopocidepgPA12_12]-1] Porteous & Smith 2001, p. 12.

[:02-2] Ahituv, Netta (4 January 2024). "Amid Israeli Destruction in Gaza, a New Crime Against Humanity Emerges: Domicide". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2024.

[3] Sullivan, Becky (9 February 2024). "What is 'domicide,' and why has war in Gaza brought new attention to the term?". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 28 January 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2024.

[4] "Report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Balakrishnan Rajagopal (A/77/190) [EN/AR/RU/ZH] - World". Reliefweb. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2024.

[5] ""Domicide" must be recognised as an international crime: UN expert". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024.

[6] Rajagopal, Balakrishnan (29 January 2024). "Opinion | Domicide: The Mass Destruction of Homes Should Be a Crime Against Humanity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.

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