text: Non-Hostile Relations Between Belligerents
  approaches an end, communication may also be necessary to arrange for temporary ceasefires leading to a
  conclusion of hostilities, separation of forces, a formal cessation of hostilities, and repatriation of POWs and
  retained personnel (see DoD Law of War Manual, 12.1.2.2).
  7-15. Local communication between friendly and enemy forces is dependent on various factors, including
  the commander’s mission, an ability to communicate with opposing forces, and a willingness of opposing
  forces to communicate. A commander is not legally obligated to seek communication with opposing forces.
  Moreover, a commander is not obligated to respond to an opposing force’s attempts to communicate if such
  communication is inconsistent with the commander’s mission or military security (see HR art. 33).
  DOCUMENTATION
  7-16. Communication between belligerents may be facilitated by the use of military passports, safe conducts,
  or safeguards (see paragraph 7-47 through 7-64; DOD Law of War Manual, 12.6).
  PARLEMENTAIRES
  7-17. Parlementaires ordinarily are agents or envoys employed by commanders in the field to go in
  person within the enemy lines for the purpose of communicating or negotiating openly and directly
  with the enemy commander. Derived from the same word from which the word “parley,” the term
  parlementaire was adopted by governments at the First Hague Peace Conference (1899), and the 1907 Hague
  IV Regulations provide that “a person is regarded as a parlementaire who has been authorized by one of the
  belligerents to enter into communication with the other, and who advances bearing a white flag.” (HR art.
  32).
  7-18. Although the word parlementaire has been translated as a person bearing a flag of truce, a parlementaire
  does not need to carry or be the physical bearer of the white flag. The main point is a parlementaire is a
  representative of a government or its military forces authorized to engage in communication with an enemy
  government’s representatives or its military forces.
  7-19. A parlementaire may be civilian or military, and may come alone, or he or she may request to have
  others, such as an interpreter, accompany him or her. A parlementaire may perform duties at the national
  (strategic), operational, or tactical level. The Hague Regulations mention a white flag and accompanying
  “trumpeter, bugler or drummer,” (HR art. 32) which emphasizes that the term historically referred primarily
  to battlefield negotiations, such as to arrange a surrender or temporary ceasefire to collect wounded and sick.
  REFUSAL OR ACCEPTANCE OF PARLEMENTAIRE
  7-20. A commander to whom a flag of truce is sent is not in all circumstances obligated to receive it (HR art.
  33). For instance, a commander may decline to receive a parlementaire for reasons of military necessity. A
  commander is under no obligation to allow unnecessary repetition of parlementaire visits. However, a
  belligerent may not declare beforehand, even for a specified period – except in case of reprisal for abuses of
  the flag of truce – that it will not receive parlementaires. Although commanders may refuse to receive a
  parlementaire and other envoys seeking to negotiate, commanders may not refuse the unconditional surrender
  of the adversary or declare that they will refuse unconditional surrender (see DOD Law of War Manual,
  12.5.2).
  7-21. A commander accepting an offer of a parlementaire is entitled to declare the circumstances and
  conditions under which the parlementaire will be received. Such commander may set the time, place, number
  of persons accompanying the parlementaire, authorized method of transport (for example, by foot or vehicle),
  and other meeting details, to include frequency of meetings if more than one will take place (see DoD Law
  of War Manual, 12.5.2). Moreover, the receiving commander may take all necessary measures to prevent a
  parlementaire from taking advantage of their mission to collect intelligence (HR art. 33).
  PARLEMENTAIRE MUST BE AUTHORIZED
  7-22. A parlementaire must be authorized by a belligerent to enter into communications with the opposing
  commander. In addition to presenting themselves under the protection of the white flag, a parlementaire must
  possess—and present—written and signed authorization from the enemy commander the parlementaire