Urban Warfare and IHL Provisions

The principle that requires warring parties to differentiate between military objectives and civilians or civilian objects.

A military attack that is not directed at a specific military objective and therefore cannot be considered lawful under International Humanitarian Law.

The prohibition of using civilian persons or objects to shield military forces from attack.

A military attack that results in civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure that is excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.

The obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure during military operations.

The principle that requires military forces to attack only military objectives and to avoid targeting civilian objects or civilians.

Civilian objects that are essential for the survival of the civilian population, such as hospitals and water supplies.

Military operations conducted in densely populated areas, often resulting in high civilian casualties and widespread destruction.

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) requires parties to take precautions during attacks to minimize harm to civilians and infrastructure, including issuing warnings unless circumstances prevent it.

IHL forbids using civilians to shield military objectives, as this constitutes a violation of proportionality and distinction.

IHL prohibits using starvation as a method of warfare, meaning besieging forces must not deliberately withhold food or supplies from civilians in a besieged area.

IHL emphasizes the need for respect for human rights during sieges, including treating prisoners humanely and prohibiting collective punishment.

Besieging forces are allowed to attack military objectives within a besieged area, but they must comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions, meaning only military targets should be targeted, the harm caused should not be excessive, and measures should be taken to minimize harm to civilians.

It is not prohibited under IHL to besiege an area to block reinforcement or resupply, including forcing surrender through starvation.

While IHL governs the conduct of hostilities during sieges, it doesn't prohibit attacks on legitimate military targets within the besieged area, provided they comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions.

NATO's 2003 RTO Technical Report 71 provides insights from a soldier's perspective on operating in urban spaces.

An attack that targets only military objectives, ensuring minimal harm to civilians.

The principle that requires military forces to limit attacks to only military objectives, avoiding excessive harm to civilians.

Obstacles to delivering humanitarian assistance to areas affected by conflict, often due to military actions or restrictions.

The use of civilians or civilian objects to shield military forces or objectives from attack, prohibited under international humanitarian law.

The practice of deliberately targeting civilians or civilian objects, considered a grave breach of international humanitarian law.

Restrictions on aid due to military tactics like sieges, preventing humanitarian organizations from reaching those in need.

The difficulty of distinguishing between combatants and civilians in dense urban environments makes it challenging to comply with IHL's mandate to protect non-combatants.

Urban warfare often involves heavy weaponry, leading to widespread destruction and disproportionate harm to civilians. This challenges IHL's principles of proportionality and precaution.

Urban environments often blend military targets with civilian infrastructure, increasing the risk of unintended harm to schools, hospitals, or water supply systems during combat.

The urban environment is often chosen by insurgents as a strategy to exploit its complexity and hinder the effectiveness of counterinsurgency forces.

Insurgents can operate more effectively in urban settings due to the ability to blend in with the civilian population and utilize a variety of tactics to disrupt security.

IHL's focus on differentiating between combatants and civilians, proportionality, and precaution becomes increasingly difficult to uphold in urban warfare due to the blurring of lines and complex challenges of the environment.

The blurring of lines between combatants and civilians in urban warfare creates opportunities for misinterpretations and misuse of IHL principles.

The need to adapt IHL to address the unique challenges of urban warfare is highlighted due to its inadequacy in ensuring humanitarian conduct in such environments