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distinctive and visible signs. For example, it may be appropriate to identify civilian hospitals 352or civilian air raid shelters in order to facilitate their protection during enemy bombardment. 353Signs indicating civilian objects, as such, should be notified to the opposing party so that theopposing party knows to refrain from bombarding places or buildings bearing these signs.Where enemy forces seek to make peaceful civilians the object of attack, then it wouldnot be appropriate to distinguish civilian objects. Such precautions would not be feasiblebecause they would not be expected to yield a humanitarian benefit. 3545.14.5 Carrying Arms Openly and Wearing of Distinctive Emblems by the Armed Forcesto Distinguish Themselves From the Civilian Population. Although the practices of carryingarms openly and wearing uniforms and distinctive emblems by armed forces predatescontemporary doctrines of feasible precautions, these practices may be viewed as feasibleprecautions that help protect the civilian population from being erroneously made the object ofattack. 355This requirement of armed forces to wear distinctive emblems has been understood as arequirement for the armed forces as a group. 356 However, it applies, to some extent, on anindividual basis in the context of liability for spying or sabotage. 357 The obligation of armedforces to distinguish themselves includes, but is not limited to, those times when they conductattacks. 358 However, the requirement to wear distinctive emblems is not an absolute one, evenduring combat. 359352 Refer to § 7.17.2.2 (Markings of Civilian Hospitals With the Distinctive Emblem).353 See, e.g., HAGUE IV REG art. 27 (“In sieges and bombardments all necessary steps must be taken to spare, as faras possible, buildings dedicated to religion, art, science, or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals, andplaces where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not being used at the time for military purposes.It is the duty of the besieged to indicate the presence of such buildings or places by distinctive and visible signs,which shall be notified to the enemy beforehand.”); HAGUE IX art. 5 (“In bombardments by naval forces all thenecessary measures must be taken by the commander to spare as far as possible sacred edifices, buildings used forartistic, scientific, or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals, and places where the sick or wounded arecollected, on the understanding that they are not used at the same time for military purposes. It is the duty of theinhabitants to indicate such monuments, edifices, or places by visible signs, which shall consist of large stiffrectangular panels divided diagonally into two coloured triangular portions, the upper portion black, the lowerportion white.”).354 Refer to § 5.3.3.2 (What Precautions Are Feasible).355 Refer to § 4.6.4 (Having a Fixed Distinctive Sign Recognizable at a Distance); § 4.6.5 (Carrying Arms Openly).356 Refer to § 4.6.1.1 (GPW 4A(2) Conditions Required on a Group Basis).357 Refer to § 4.17 (Spies, Saboteurs, and Other Persons Engaging in Similar Acts Behind Enemy Lines).358 Refer to § 5.5.8 (Obligation of Combatants to Distinguish Themselves When Conducting Attacks).359 Refer to § 5.5.8.1 (Fighting Out of Uniform).252