Jordan
Practice Relating to Rule 1. The Principle of Distinction between Civilians and Combatants
The Report on the Practice of Jordan notes that a booklet on the law of armed conflict prepared by the ICRC is used by military commanders. The booklet gives a list of principles to apply in military action, among which is the obligation of the armed forces to fight only combatants.
Jordan’s Military Penal Code (2002) states that the following shall be deemed a war crime when committed in the event of armed conflict: “Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians”.
In 1996, during a debate in the UN Security Council on the situation in Lebanon, Jordan considered that, while the use of force and violence as a means to solve political problems should always be condemned, this proved particularly true when force was employed against innocent civilians and civilian installations.
The Report on the Practice of Jordan states that there are no reported incidents of Jordanian troops resorting to direct attacks on civilians. It refers to Islam’s prohibition of direct attacks on civilians, that is, in the event of the use of force and in case of armed conflicts, it is not permissible to kill non-combatants, such as old men, women and children.