Armed conflict
Civilian objects
Common article 3
Collateral damage
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Deportation
Ethnic cleansing
Evacuation
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Human shields
It is prohibited to seize or to use the presence of persons protected by the Geneva Conventions as human shields to render military sites immune from enemy attacks or to prevent reprisals during an offensive. Thus, it is prohibited to direct the movement of protected persons in order to attempt to shield military objectives or operations. Many categories of persons are specifically protected by humanitarian law, such as civilians, the wounded and sick, prisoners of war, and medical personnel.
Any such acts are war crimes under international humanitarian law. This is also reflected in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where it included the use of a civilian or other protected persons as a shield for military operations in its definition of war crimes, when committed during an international armed conflict. Furthermore, customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of human shields, both in international and non-international conflicts.
Any such acts are war crimes under international humanitarian law. This is also reflected in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where it included the use of a civilian or other protected persons as a shield for military operations in its definition of war crimes, when committed during an international armed conflict. Furthermore, customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of human shields, both in international and non-international conflicts.