The rules of war must be observed—no matter how tough a test the Gaza conflict proves

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces announced: “The emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy.” Photo: AP/Ariel Schalit

For almost 4,000 years, some governments have insisted that if wars must be fought, there should be rules. 

The first known code, by the Babylonian king Hammurabi, laid down the principle on which all subsequent laws of war have been based: “To prevent the strong from oppressing the weak”.