Law of war

The body of international law governing when states may resort to force and how parties must conduct hostilities. It includes rules on the legality of war and protections during armed conflict.

Jus ad bellum: The international legal rules governing whether a state may resort to force. It addresses when force may lawfully begin, distinct from rules for fighting.
Military necessity: A principle permitting only measures necessary to achieve a legitimate military objective and not otherwise prohibited. It limits force to measures serving a lawful military purpose.
Henry Dunant: A Swiss humanitarian whose account of the Battle of Solferino helped inspire the Red Cross movement and the first Geneva Convention. His advocacy helped launch organized efforts to protect wounded soldiers.
Targeted killing: The intentional use of lethal force against a specifically identified person outside immediate combat between opposing forces. Its legality can depend on conflict classification, target status, and attack rules.
Human rights law: International and domestic rules protecting fundamental rights, including during emergencies and armed conflict. It may apply alongside humanitarian law, but uses a distinct legal framework.
Jus in bello: The international legal rules governing conduct during armed conflict, regardless of which side began it. It governs hostilities and protections once armed conflict exists.
Distinction (international humanitarian law): The rule requiring parties to distinguish civilians and civilian objects from combatants and military objectives. It governs whom and what parties may attack.
First Geneva Convention: The 1864 treaty establishing protections for wounded soldiers and medical personnel on land. It marked an early treaty milestone in codifying humanitarian rules.
Prisoner of war: A captured combatant entitled to protections under the Third Geneva Convention. Capture triggers specific duties governing detention and treatment.
Neutrality (international law): The legal status and duties of states that do not participate in an international armed conflict. Neutrality regulates relations with belligerents rather than conduct between them.

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