International humanitarian law (IHL) is the law that regulates the conduct of war (jus in

bello). It is that branch ofinternational law which seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict
by protecting persons who are not participating in hostilities, and by restricting and
regulating the means and methods of warfare available to combatants. IHL is inspired by
considerations of humanity and the mitigation of human suffering. "It comprises a set of
rules, established by treaty or custom, that seeks to protect persons and property/objects
that are (or may be) affected by armed conflict and limits the rights of parties to a conflict to
use methods and means of warfare of their choice".[1] It includes "the Geneva
Conventionsand the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law,
and customary international law."[2] It defines the conduct and responsibilities
of belligerent nations, neutral nations, and individuals engaged in warfare, in relation to
each other and to protected persons, usually meaning non-combatants. It is designed to
balance humanitarian concerns andmilitary necessity, and subjects warfare to the rule of
law by limiting its destructive effect and mitigating human suffering. [3]

B
asic rules of IHL[edit]
1. Persons who are hors de combat (outside of combat), and those who are not taking
part in hostilities in situation of armed conflict (e.g., neutral nationals), shall be
protected in all circumstances.2 he wounded and the sick shall be cared for and
protected by the party to the conflict which has them in its power. The emblem of the
"Red Cross," or of the "Red Crescent," shall be required to be respected as the sign
of protection.3 Captured persons must be protected against acts of violence and
reprisals. They shall have the right to correspond with their families and to receive
relief.4 No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading
treatment or punishment.5Parties to a conflict do not have an unlimited choice of
methods and means of warfare.6Parties to a conflict shall at all times distinguish
between combatants and non-combatants. Attacks shall be directed solely against

The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additionalprotocols, that
establish the standards of international law for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular
term Geneva Convention usually denotes the agreements of 1949, negotiated in the
aftermath of the Second World War(193945), which updated the terms of the two 1929
treaties, and added two new conventions. The Geneva Conventions extensively defined the
basic rights of wartime prisoners (civilians and military personnel); established protections
for the wounded and sick; and established protections for the civilians in and around a war-
zone. The treaties of 1949 were ratified, in whole or withreservations, by 196
countries.[1] Moreover, the Geneva Convention also defines the rights and protections
afforded to non-combatants, yet, because the Geneva Conventions are about people in
war, the articles do not addresswarfare properthe use of weapons of warwhich is the
subject of the Hague Conventions (First Hague Conference, 1899; Second Hague
Conference 1907), and the bio-chemical warfare Geneva Protocol (Protocol for the
Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of
Bacteriological Methods of Warfare,

The First Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in
Armies in the Field, held in 1864, is the first of four treaties of theGeneva Conventions. It
defines "the basis on which rest the rules of international law for the protection of the victims
of armed conflicts."[1] After the first treaty was adopted in 1864, it was significantly revised
and replaced in 1906, 1929, and finally 1949. It is inextricably linked to the International
Committee of the Red Cross, which is both the instigator for the inception and enforcer of
the articles in these conventions. The Second Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of
the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea is one
of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. The Geneva Convention for the
Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed
Forces at Sea was first adopted in 1949, it replaced the Hague Convention (X) of 1907.[1] It
adapts the main protective regime of the First Geneva Convention to combat at sea.[
The Third Geneva Convention, relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, is one of the
four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. The Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment
of Prisoners of War was first adopted in 1929, but significantly revised at the 1949
conference. It defines humanitarian protections for prisoners of war. There are 196 state
parties to the Convention. The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and
abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted
in August 1949, and defines humanitarian protections for civilians in a war zone. There are
currently 196 countries party to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, including this and the other
three treaties.[1]

In 1993, the United Nations Security Council adopted a report from the Secretary-
General and a Commission of Experts which concluded that the Geneva Conventions had
passed into the body of customary international law, thus making them binding on non-
signatories to the Conventions whenever they engage in armed conflicts.[2]
The 1949 conventions have been modified with three amendment protocols:
Protocol I (1977) relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts[32]

Protocol II (1977) relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed

Conflicts[33]Protocol III (2005) relating to the Adoption of an Additional Distinctive Emblem. [34]
Common Article 2 relating to international armed conflicts
This article states that the Geneva Conventions apply to all cases of international conflict,
where at least one of the warring nations have ratified the Conventions. Primarily:
The Conventions apply to all cases of declared war between signatory nations. This is the
original sense of applicability, which predates the 1949 version.
The Conventions apply to all cases of armed conflict between two or more signatory
nations, even in the absence of a declaration of war. This language was added in 1949 to
accommodate situations that have all the characteristics of war without the existence of a
formal declaration of war, such as a police action.[21]
The Conventions apply to a signatory nation even if the opposing nation is not a signatory,
but only if the opposing nation "accepts and applies the provisions" of the Conventions.
Common Article 3 relating to non-international armed conflict
violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel
treatment and torture;
taking of hostages;
outrages upon dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment; and
the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous
judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all
the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.
The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.