Editing Strategic bombing (section)

==Aerial bombardment and international law==
{{main|Aerial bombardment and international law}}
[[Air warfare]] must comply with [[laws and customs of war]], including [[international humanitarian law]] by protecting the victims of the conflict and refraining from attacks on [[protected persons]].<ref>{{harvnb|Gómez|1998|pp=361-362}}</ref>

These restraints on aerial warfare are covered by the general laws of war, because unlike the war on land and at sea—which is specifically covered by rules such as the [[Hague Conventions (1907)|1907 Hague Convention]] and [[Protocol I]] additional to the [[Geneva Conventions]], which contain pertinent restrictions, prohibitions and guidelines—there are no treaties specific to aerial warfare.<ref>{{harvnb | Gómez|1998|p=362}}</ref>

To be legal, aerial operations must comply with the principles of humanitarian law: ''[[military necessity]]'', ''[[distinction (law)|distinction]]'', and ''[[proportionality (law)|proportionality]]'':<ref>{{harvnb | Gómez|1998|pp=354, 358}}</ref> An attack or action must be intended to help in the defeat of the enemy; it must be an attack on a [[legitimate military target|legitimate military objective]], and the harm caused to protected civilians or civilian property must be proportional and not excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.<ref>{{harvnb|Reynolds|2005|pp=50-51}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Dannen|2017}}</ref>