What does international law have to say about protecting civilians during armed conflict?
One of the most fundamental principles of the “laws of war” is the protection of civilians. Common Article 3 of the four 1949 Geneva Conventions (the main body of Humanitarian Law) requires all parties to internal armed conflict to treat humanely those taking no active part in the conflict, or who are no longer taking active part. Common Article 3 also prohibits murder, cruel and degrading treatment, torture, and hostage taking. The Fourth Geneva Convention lays out additional protections for civilians in international conflicts. The fullest statement of the rules governing the conduct of hostilities in international armed conflict, however, is in Protocol I (1977) Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 which has been ratified by over 150 states. Although the US has not ratified it, the fundamental rules on the protection of civilians are widely considered to be part of international customary law and are therefore binding on all states.
