Hors de combat

The phrase it's self
"Hors de combat" means:


 * "Out of (the) fight" or "outside the fight"

It is a French term used in diplomacy and international law to refer to persons who are incapable of performing combat. It is a set of criteria that are to be consulted before engaging in a fight or battle during war in order to determine whether entering into war is permissible, that is, whether it is a just war.

The wartime usages of the clause

 * A person is considered "hors de combat" if:


 * 1) He is in the power of an adverse Party;
 * 2) He clearly expresses an intention to surrender; or
 * 3) He has been rendered unconscious or is otherwise incapacitated by wounds or sickness, and therefore is incapable of defending himself; provided that in any of these cases he abstains from any hostile act and does not attempt to escape.