International law scholars and actors within the international system have sought to provide a clear and comprehensive definition of IHL through academic studies and field experiences encountered in the past century.Some have defined it as "a set of rules applicable in armed conflicts to combatants and the methods and means of warfare (Hague Law)." Others have described it as "a body of provisions that protect individuals who have ceased to participate in hostilities or never took part in them, as well as civilian objects affected by armed conflict (Geneva Law)."