ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Jus in bello

Jus in bello is a big, fancy term that means "law in war." Imagine that you and your friend are playing a game of tag. You both agreed to follow some rules, like no pushing or hitting. Similarly, soldiers in war also have rules that they must follow, even though they are fighting against each other.

Jus in bello is made up of four important rules. The first rule is that soldiers must never attack people who are not fighting. For example, if you and your friend were playing tag with other kids, you wouldn't tag someone who wasn't playing, right? The same goes for soldiers in war - they should never harm anyone who isn't trying to fight.

The second rule is that soldiers must try to avoid hurting anyone who isn't a soldier, like civilians. This includes people who aren't involved in the war and are just going about their daily lives. It's important that soldiers focus only on the other soldiers they are fighting against and try to avoid causing harm to innocent people.

The third rule is that soldiers must never torture someone, even if they think that person is guilty of something. Torture can cause a lot of pain and suffering and it's never okay to use it as a means of getting information.

The fourth rule is that soldiers must always treat prisoners of war humanely. If one side captures soldiers from the other side, they must be treated fairly and not be harmed. This means they must be given food, water, shelter, and medical care.

Following these rules, soldiers can fight in a way that is fair and just, even during times of war.