Italy
Practice Relating to Rule 8. Definition of Military Objectives
Italy’s IHL Manual (1991) states that “areas of land that would be useful to capture or deny to the enemy in order to achieve a military operation” are military objectives.
Italy’s LOAC Elementary Rules Manual (1991) includes “areas of tactical importance” among military objectives.
Upon ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, Italy stated:
A specific area of land may be a “military objective” if, because of its location or other reasons specified in Article 52, its total or partial destruction, capture or neutralisation in the circumstances ruling at the time, offers definite military advantage.