Chapter I—On Means of Injuring the Enemy, Sieges, and Bombardments
Art. 22. The right of belligerents to adopt means of injuring the enemy is not unlimited.
Art. 23. Besides the prohibitions provided by special conventions, it is especially prohibited: (a) To employ poison or poisoned arms; (b) To kill or wound treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army; (c) To kill or wound an enemy who, having laid down arms, or having no longer means of defence, has surrendered at discretion; (d) To declare that no quarter will be given; (e) To employ arms, projectiles, or material of a nature to cause superfluous injury; (f) To make improper use of a flag of truce, the national flag, or military ensigns and the enemy’s uniform, as well as the distinctive badges of the Geneva Convention; (g) To destroy or seize the enemy’s property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.
Art. 24. Ruses of war and the employment of methods necessary to obtain information about the enemy and the country, are considered allowable.
Art. 25. Attack or bombardment of undefended towns prohibited.
Art. 26. Providing for warning before bombardment.
Art. 27. In sieges and bombardments all necessary steps should be taken to spare as far as possible edifices devoted to religion, art, science, and charity, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not used at the same time for military purposes. The besieged should indicate these buildings or places by some particular and visible signs, which should previously be notified to the assailants.
Art. 28. Pillage of a town even when taken by assault prohibited.
[Chapters II-V, containing Arts. 29-41, are concerned with Spies, Flags of Truce, Capitulations, and Armistices.]
Section III—On Military Authority over Hostile Territory