(Washington, DC, March 2, 2026) – US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commented at a news conference on March 2, 2026, about “stupid rules of engagement,” suggesting that they may interfere with “fight[ing] to win.” These remarks are concerning in light of Hegseth’s actions in the past year that have weakened US military posts and mechanisms intended to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law, also known as the laws of war.

Rules of engagement are official military directives that tell military forces when, where, how, and against whom force may be used. They must always be in accordance with the laws of war. 

Since the start of the Trump administration, the Defense Department under Secretary Hegseth has deliberately and systematically weakened the protections meant to ensure compliance with the laws of armed conflict. He removed senior military lawyers without publicly citing misconduct, and replaced the Army, Navy, and Air Force judge advocates general, undermining legal oversight of combat operations. 

Hegseth abolished “civilian environment teams” and other mechanisms intended to limit harm to civilians during operations. The 2026 National Defense Strategy omitted references to civilian protection and the Defense Department rolled backed restrictions on its use of antipersonnel landmines and moved ahead with cluster munitions procurement despite these weapon’s foreseeable immediate and long-term harm to civilians.

Human Rights Watch will endeavor to assess whether these Defense Department actions unlawfully increase the risk of harm to civilians during US military operations.

US civilian and military officials should reaffirm US compliance with the laws of war and restore the personnel and oversight structures that help protect civilians during armed conflict.