International humanitarian law (IHL) grants protection to certain persons and objects, but at the same time indicates which other categories of persons and objects can be lawfully attacked. Therefore, IHL is a battlefield of two principles: humanity and military necessity.

The overwhelming majority of publications on the subject focus on the protection afforded to persons and objects. This monograph takes a different approach. My intention is to examine the opposite question: who and what is not afforded protection, and ergo can be targeted and attacked in armed conflict?

I believe that the norms of IHL are currently interpreted to permit attacks against a wide array of targets, and I answer several research questions to prove it: What norms apply to the determination of lawful targets? What persons and objects may be lawfully targeted in armed conflict?