Targeting in International Humanitarian Law | Oxford Bibliographies in International Law | Oxford Academic
The law of targeting contains rules concerning which persons, places, and objects can be attacked in the course of an armed conflict in order to attain the underlying strategic, operational, or tactical objectives pursued by the belligerents. The law of targeting covers the whole targeting process: the selection of targets, their prioritization, planning, execution, and post-attack assessment. In addition to identifying lawful targets, the law of targeting is also concerned with what type of weapons and methods can be used for such attacks as well as with the measures belligerents should take to ensure the protection of specific groups of people and objects. Decisions on targeting involve complex operational, strategic, tactical, legal, ethical, and political assessments and need to be flexible to respond to changing circumstances. Because targeting is a dynamic process, the judgment of the commander is critical. General works on international humanitarian law deal with the law of targ