What are a set of minimum generalized rules that apply during an armed conflict?

Answer 1

Yes, as a matter of fact there are.
We aware that you asked this question. It is a bit more complex than you may have bargained for, and while you and other might disagree with some of the content, that in no way negates the truth of the following.
Those dealing with or addressing rules of warfare and what constitutes war crimes are Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, and The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare (or simply the Geneva Protocols). That dealing with non-combatants and the treatment of wounded and prisoners is the Geneva Conventions. While there is no specific treaty abolishing the use of nuclear weapons, the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty generally applies, and the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction pretty much keeps the hands of the leaders off the keys.
However, the various treaties truly have no power to police anyone on the battlefield. Anyone who has been in a trench, on point, or humping a pack through enemy territory, just generally faced death in the service of his country, intimately understands that there are only two natural rules of war and warfare: in no particular order other than what is priority at the instant, Kill your enemy, and stay alive.
To the first: dead is dead. While there are often strategy and tactics involved in the waging of war, ultimately it is the job of the professional soldier to eliminate the enemy's ability to wage war. The most certain way to accomplish that is to end his life; dead soldiers aren't able to fight. Now, that being established, dead being dead, it really matters little how you get the enemy there; you utilize the means to complete the task that you have at hand.
To the second: anything necessary that must be accomplished, to include preserving the lives of you and your fellow soldiers and the soldiers of your allies, must be done. If that mean you must kill the enemy, then you must. The mission is the mission, and if the enemy kills you, you cannot complete your mission.
All this being said, unless you have stood a watch, saluted shiny things, carried a weapon in the defense of your nation, stood up and sworn the oath, then you truly cannot understand. You can try. You can sympathize. You can support the troops. You should work very hard to do all three. Not out of some sense of nationalism or patriotism or political activism. But, because there but for the grace of every single service member who has done his or her job, there would go you.

Answer 2

law of armed conflict

Answer 3

loac