Editing Law of war (section)

===Red Cross, Red Crescent, Magen David Adom, and the white flag===
[[File:Emblem of the ICRC.svg|thumb|The emblem of the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] (French: ''Comité international de la croix-rouge'')]]

Modern laws of war, such as the 1949 Geneva Conventions, also include prohibitions on attacking [[physician|doctors]], [[ambulance]]s or [[hospital ship]]s displaying a [[Red Cross (emblem)|Red Cross]], a [[Red Crescent (emblem)|Red Crescent]], [[Magen David Adom]], [[Emblems of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement#Red Crystal|Red Crystal]], or other emblem related to the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement]]. It is also prohibited to fire at a person or vehicle bearing a [[white flag]], since that indicates an intent to surrender or a desire to communicate.<ref name="auto">{{Citation |last=Forsythe |first=David |title=International Committee of the Red Cross |date=2019-06-26 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199796953-0183 |work=International Law |access-date=2023-06-09 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/obo/9780199796953-0183 |isbn=978-0-19-979695-3}}.</ref>

In either case, people protected by the Red Cross/Crescent/Star or white flag are expected to maintain neutrality, and may not engage in warlike acts. In fact, engaging in war activities under a protected symbol is itself a violation of the laws of war known as [[perfidy]]. Failure to follow these requirements can result in the loss of protected status and make the individual violating the requirements a lawful target.<ref name="auto"/>