International law and war

International Humanitarian Law book
The only legitimate objective of war, as defined by the law of armed conflicts, is to weaken and overpower the opponent's military forces.
The history of conflicts illustrates the need to restrict the use of force in order to limit the risks of extermination and total destruction of the enemy..
Is there an international law of war?
The rules of war are universal.
The Geneva Conventions (which are the core element of IHL) have been ratified by all 196 states.
Very few international treaties have this level of support.
Everyone fighting a war needs to respect IHL, both governmental forces and non-State armed groups..
How does Human Rights Law differ from the Law of War? Human Rights Law deals with individual rights against abuses by their government, while the Law of War regulates the conduct of hostilities.
Prohibited methods of warfare include perfidy, terror, starvation, reprisals against non-military objectives, and indiscriminate attacks, damage to the natural environment or to works and installations containing dangerous forces; ordering that there shall be no survivors; pillage; taking hostages; taking advantage of

International humanitarian law is a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects people who are not or are no longer participating in hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare.

International law does this by regulating war and prohibiting specific acts and behavior, such as gratuitous massacres and the extermination of civilian populations, which may make a return to peace and reconciliation difficult. It also stresses the importance of distinguishing between civilians and combatants.

Sources of international humanitarian law. IHL treaties. IHL is based on a number of treaties, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional

International law

Some of the most influential thinking about war and the international system has come from specialists in international law.
All of them postulate that there exists an international society of states that accepts the binding force of some norms of international behaviour.
These norms are referred to as international law, although they differ fundamentally from municipal law because no sovereign exists who can enforce them.
Most international lawyers realistically accept that international law is, consequently, among rather than above states.
It is, according to legal doctrine, binding on states but unenforceable.

International law and war

International Humanitarian Law book

Is there an international law of war?

International law

Overview