Purposes of The Laws
Some of the central principles underlying laws of war are:
- Wars should be limited to achieving the political goals that started the war (e.g., territorial control) and should not include unnecessary destruction.
- Wars should be brought to an end as quickly as possible.
- People and property that do not contribute to the war effort should be protected against unnecessary destruction and hardship.
To this end, laws of war are intended to mitigate the hardships of war by:
- Protecting both combatants and noncombatants from unnecessary suffering.
- Safeguarding certain fundamental human rights of persons who fall into the hands of the enemy, particularly prisoners of war, the wounded and sick, and civilians.
- Facilitating the restoration of peace.
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