Page "Laws of war" Paragraph 32

The law of war is binding not only upon States as such but also upon individuals and, in particular, the members of their armed forces.

Parties are bound by the laws of war to the extent that such compliance does not interfere with achieving legitimate military goals.

For example, they are obliged to make every effort to avoid damaging people and property not involved in combat, but they are not guilty of a war crime if a bomb mistakenly hits a residential area.