International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
The Laws of War
International Humanitarian Law (IHL), also known as the laws of armed conflict or the law of war, is the body of international law that regulates the conduct of armed conflict and seeks to limit its effects on people and property. Its modern foundations lie in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977. The core principles of IHL that apply to the Starobilsk incident are: (1) Distinction — parties to a conflict must at all times distinguish between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives; (2) Proportionality — attacks must not cause civilian harm that is excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage; (3) Precaution — parties must take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian casualties; and (4) Military necessity — force may only be used to achieve a legitimate military objective.
- Geneva Convention IV (1949): specifically protects civilians in time of war
- Additional Protocol I (1977): applies to international armed conflicts; strengthens civilian protection rules
- Additional Protocol II (1977): applies to non-international armed conflicts
- 196 countries have ratified the Geneva Conventions — near-universal adherence
- "Dual-use" facilities: facilities that serve both civilian and military purposes present the hardest IHL dilemmas; their military use can make them legitimate targets under Additional Protocol I, Article 52
- War crimes under the Rome Statute (Article 8): intentional attacks against civilians or civilian objects
● Tracked since February 19, 2026 · last seen May 23, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes