The GPEU has shared with us an interesting article written by their Hospitaller, Prof. Dr. Joachim Gardemann, who has led international emergency relief missions for the International Red Cross and lectured on humanitarian aid as a professor in Münster.
Protective signs are symbols used to indicate persons and facilities being protected according to international law in armed conflict. This includes medical, nursing, and pastoral personnel, as well as their facilities and vehicles. The use of military force against persons and places protected in such a way constitutes a war crime; on the other hand, the misuse of protective signs is equally punishable. Persons labelled with protective signs do not constitute legitimate targets in war, but are also prohibited from participating in active combat beyond self-defense. Wearing a protective symbol obliges one to adhere to the humanitarian principles of humanity and impartiality towards all victims in the field. In armed conflict, protective signs are used by both military medical units and civilian support forces.
The full essay may be downloaded here in English.
The original German text can be found on the website of the Humanitarian Grand Priory of Europe: https://www.st-lazarus.eu/schutzzeichen-im-bewaffneten-konflikt/