text: Chapter 2
  Military commanders based or operating in urban terrain, or in the vicinity of the civilian population,
  should take reasonable steps to separate military units from the civilian population and civilian objects (see
  DOD Law of War Manual, 5.14; consider AP I art. 58). This duty does not preclude positioning, locating, or
  billeting military forces in urban terrain or other areas where civilians are present when the command has
  legitimate military reasons for doing so. For example, troops may be housed in populated areas for health
  and sanitation purposes, and to take advantage of pre-existing communications facilities.
  In addition, an urban area may become a military objective if it has become a manmade obstacle to
  impede or prevent enemy forces’ maneuver or advance. Civilian objects that combatants occupy or utilize
  can become military objectives, and belligerent forces may target them lawfully while they are military
  objectives. LOAC, however, prohibits positioning military forces among the civilian population when
  military necessity does not warrant the increased risk to the civilian population or this positioning is
  undertaken solely for the purpose of utilizing the civilian population to shield military forces from attack.
  MILITARY OBJECTIVES
  An attack may be directed only against a military objective (see DOD Law of War Manual, 5.5). A
  military objective refers to certain persons and objects during hostilities which, by their nature,
  location, purpose, or use, make an effective contribution to military action and whose total or partial
  destruction, capture, or neutralization, in the circumstances ruling at the time, offers a definite military
  advantage. Military objectives may be attacked wherever they are located outside of neutral territory, subject
  to other LOAC considerations, such as proportionality. Certain classes of persons and objects are
  categorically recognized as military objectives, provided the persons are not hors de combat. Apart from
  these classes that are categorically military objectives, other objects are assessed as to whether they meet the
  definition of “military objective” (DOD Law of War Manual, 5.6).
  Certain classes of persons are military objectives and may be made the object of attack. These classes
  of persons include: combatants, such as personnel in military ground, air, and naval units, or unprivileged
  belligerents, provided they are not hors de combat; and civilians taking a direct part in hostilities. The
  following classes of persons are not military objectives: military medical and religious personnel, unless they
  commit acts harmful to the enemy; military medical units, unless they have forfeited their protected status;
  combatants placed hors de combat; and parlementaires (see paragraphs 7-17 to 7-40 on parlementaires).
  “Military objective” is a treaty term synonymous with an object that constitutes a “lawful target.” A
  military objective, in so far as objects are concerned, is defined in certain treaties as “any object which by its
  nature, location, purpose or use makes an effective contribution to military action and whose total or partial
  destruction, capture or neutralization, in the circumstances ruling at the time, offers a definite military
  advantage” (CCW Amended Protocol II art. 2.6; CCW Protocol III art. 1.3; consider AP I, art. 52(2)). The
  components of this definition are examined more closely in paragraphs 2-39 through 2-57. This definition
  may be viewed as a way of evaluating whether military necessity exists to attack an object. It may also be
  applied outside the context of conducting attacks to assess whether the seizure or destruction of an object is
  justified by military necessity.
  Military objectives may be attacked in any manner consistent with LOAC. The definition sets forth
  objective, simple criteria to consider whether an object is a lawful target that may be seized or attacked when
  military necessity exists. By its language, the treaty definition of military objective is concerned only with
  objects, not individuals. This definition of military objective is relevant and applicable to objects other than
  military bases and equipment, which are per se military objectives. Military bases and equipment (other than
  military medical and religious facilities) may be attacked at any time, wherever located, as lawful targets,
  without analyzing whether they are military objectives (subject to targeting precautions to protect civilians
  not taking a direct part in hostilities and civilian objects).
  Likewise, a combatant (such as a member of a military ground, air, or naval unit, or an unprivileged
  belligerent) is a military objective who may be attacked at any time (subject to targeting precautions to protect
  civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities and civilian objects), wherever located, regardless of the activity
  in which he or she is engaged at the time, provided he or she is not hors de combat. Civilians taking a direct
  part in hostilities are also military objectives and similarly may be made the object of attack.