text: General Background and Basic Principles of the Law of Armed Conflict
  must accept that certain limits exist on their ability to conduct hostilities (HR art. 22). The principle of honor
  does not address what those limits are, as much as require that parties accept that certain legal limits exist.
  Thus, honor gives rise to rules that help enforce and give effect to LOAC. Honor requires persons to make
  good faith efforts to comply with LOAC. In addition to shaping the rules that require parties to a conflict to
  make efforts to comply with LOAC, honor also underlies rules that require parties to refrain from taking
  advantage of their opponent’s adherence to the law by falsely claiming the law’s protections. For example,
  enemies must deal with one another in good faith in their non-hostile relations. Additionally, even in the
  conduct of hostilities, parties may not engage in treacherous or perfidious killing or wounding of enemy
  persons. As another example, misuse of a flag of truce is prohibited. If parties could take advantage of their
  opponent’s adherence to LOAC, this would discourage parties from complying with LOAC. Honor, however,
  does not forbid parties from using ruses and other lawful deceptions against which the enemy ought to take
  measures to protect itself.
  Certain Mutual Respect
  1-33. Honor demands a certain mutual respect between opposing military forces. Opposing military forces
  should respect one another outside of the fighting because they share a profession and they fight one another
  on behalf of their respective parties and not out of a personal hostility. Honor thus underlies rules that relate
  to prisoners of war (POWs). For example, POWs and their captors should treat one another with respect. In
  addition, honor helps establish the requirements for entitlement to POW status or other privileges afforded
  lawful combatants. For example, an armed group must, among other things, be organized under a responsible
  command and conduct its operations in accordance with LOAC in order for its members to receive POW
  status upon capture during international armed conflict.
  DISTINCTION
  1-34. Distinction, sometimes called discrimination, is the LOAC principle that obliges parties to a
  conflict to distinguish between combatants and the civilian population and to distinguish between
  military objectives and protected property and places. Distinction is a principle that is derivative of both
  military necessity and humanity.
  1-35. Distinction developed over time as States increasingly departed from the practice of war between entire
  peoples, and instead treated war as a contention between their professional military forces. Distinction
  requires parties to a conflict to recognize and respect a framework of legal categories for persons and objects,
  each category with different rights, duties, and liabilities. Principally, distinction separates those taking part
  in hostilities (whom military necessity justifies as permissible to attack), such as the armed forces, and those
  taking no active part in hostilities (whom military necessity and humanity protect as unnecessary to attack),
  such as the civilian population. By requiring parties to recognize and respect different legal categories that
  derive from military necessity and humanity, distinction seeks to confine the fighting between opposing
  armed forces and thereby spare the civilian population as much as possible. Distinction also helps parties
  comport with proportionality and thereby reduces incidental harm.
  1-36. Distinction encompasses two interdependent sets of duties. Parties must recognize and respect
  categories by discriminating in the use of force against the enemy, and by distinguishing a party’s own
  persons and objects (See DOD Law of War Manual, 2.5).
  Discrimination in Conducting Attacks Against the Enemy
  1-37. Distinction requires parties to a conflict to discriminate in their use of force against the enemy. On the
  one hand, consistent with military necessity, parties may attack enemy combatants and other military
  objectives. On the other hand, consistent with military necessity and humanity, parties may not make
  civilians, civilian objects, and other protected persons and objects the object of an attack. Moreover, persons
  using force must exercise reasonable care in discriminating between legitimate and illegitimate objects of
  attack (see DOD Law of War Manual, 2.5.2).