Chapter

International humanitarian law and the conduct of hostilities

Michael N. Schmitt

The Oxford guide to international humanitarian law

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2020

p. 147-174

English

This chapter examines the principles and rules of international humanitarian law that govern the conduct of hostilities by states and other participants during an armed conflict. The term "conduct of hostilities" referts to the application of force in the course of such conflicts. In particular, it encompasses the various methods (tactics) and the means (weapons) that are used during the hostilities. To place the remaining discussion in context, the chapter begins with an introduction to the two foundational principles underlying the IHL applicable to the conduct of hostilities: military necessity and humanity. It then turns to the content of this body of law, the general principles and their derivative rules. It concludes with a brief examination of certain new technologies warfare and highlights the key legal issues they raise with respect to the conduct of hostilities.

• Full text (restricted access : ICRC)

• The Oxford guide to international humanitarian law / ed. by Ben Saul and Dapo Akande