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• all consignments of medical and hospital stores and objects necessary for religiousworship intended only for civilians; and• all consignments of essential foodstuffs, clothing, and tonics (i.e., medicine) intended forchildren under fifteen, expectant mothers, and maternity cases. 596However, allowing passage of these items is not required by the party controlling the areaunless that party is satisfied that there are no serious reasons for fearing that:• the consignments may be diverted from their destination;• the control may not be effective; or• a definite advantage may accrue to the military efforts or economy of the enemy. 5975.19.3.1 Technical Arrangements for the Passage and Distribution of ReliefConsignments. Commanders may require, as a condition for allowing the passage ofconsignments listed above, that the consignments be distributed under the local supervision ofthe Protecting Powers. 598 Commanders may prescribe other rules and regulations for howconsignments are to be distributed, although consignments should be forwarded as rapidly aspossible. 5995.19.4 Attacks by Forces Laying Siege. The general rules that apply to conductingattacks also apply to attacks by forces laying siege. 6005.19.4.1 Use of Force to Drive Fleeing Civilians Back to Besieged Areas. In thepast, it was permissible, but an extreme measure, to refuse to allow civilians to leave a besiegedlocality and to use force to drive any who attempted to flee back to the besieged locality. 601596 GC art. 23 (“Each High Contracting Party shall allow the free passage of all consignments of medical andhospital stores and objects necessary for religious worship intended only for civilians of another High ContractingParty, even if the latter is its adversary. It shall likewise permit the free passage of all consignments of essentialfoodstuffs, clothing and tonics intended for children under fifteen, expectant mothers and maternity cases.”).597 GC art. 23 (“The obligation of a High Contracting Party to allow the free passage of the consignments indicatedin the preceding paragraph is subject to the condition that this Party is satisfied that there are no serious reasons forfearing: (a) that the consignments may be diverted from their destination, (b) that the control may not be effective,or (c) that a definite advantage may accrue to the military efforts or economy of the enemy through the substitutionof the above-mentioned consignments for goods which would otherwise be provided or produced by the enemy orthrough the release of such material, services or facilities as would otherwise be required for the production of suchgoods.”).598 GC art. 23 (“The Power which allows the passage of the consignments indicated in the first paragraph of thisArticle may make such permission conditional on the distribution to the persons benefited thereby being made underthe local supervision of the Protecting Powers.”).599 GC art. 23 (“Such consignments shall be forwarded as rapidly as possible, and the Power which permits their freepassage shall have the right to prescribe the technical arrangements under which such passage is allowed.”).600 Refer to § 5.5 (Rules on Conducting Assaults, Bombardments, and Other Attacks).601 See, e.g., United States v. von Leeb, et al. (The High Command Case), XI TRIALS OF WAR CRIMINALS BEFORETHE NMT 563 (“Leningrad was encircled and besieged. Its defenders and the civilian population were in great290