International law Hamas subsection layout The same as above could be applied to Hamas Right now allegations are mess ITIC report sorts them out see See 5 Legal Appendix Here is a copy pasted unedited first part A Attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects 1 Contravention of the principle of distinction The act of directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects contravenes the Principle of Distinction according to this principle parties must at all times distinguish between civilians and combatants Moreover under this rule it is strictly prohibited to direct attacks at civilian objects or civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities The principle is encapsulated by Article 48 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflict 1977 stating that In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population and civilian objects the Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objectives The violation of this basic prohibition also amounts to a war crime See for example Article 8 2 b i of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1998 which includes within its list of acts constituting war crimes the following Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking part in hostilities