Netherlands
Practice Relating to Rule 11. Indiscriminate Attacks
The Military Manual (1993) of the Netherlands provides: “Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited.”
The Military Manual (2005) of the Netherlands states: “Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited.”
In its chapter on non-international armed conflict, the manual also states: “Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited.”
Under the International Crimes Act (2003) of the Netherlands, it is a crime, during an international armed conflict, to commit:
the following acts, when they are committed intentionally and in violation of the relevant provisions of Additional Protocol (I) and cause death or serious injury to body or health: … launching an indiscriminate attack affecting the civilian population or civilian objects in the knowledge that such attack will cause excessive loss of life, injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects.
Likewise, “intentionally launching an attack in the knowledge that such an attack will cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects … which would be clearly excessive in relation to the concrete and direct overall military advantage anticipated” is also a crime, when committed in an international armed conflict.