The five law of war principles that govern armed conflict do not include

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In the law of armed conflict, those guiding principles set the standards for how force may be used and how combatants and civilians are to be treated. The five widely recognized principles are distinction (discrimination) between military targets and civilians, proportionality so that force used is not excessive for the objective, military necessity to justify measures that are necessary to achieve a legitimate military aim, humanity to prevent unnecessary suffering, and precautions in attack to take feasible steps to minimize civilian harm. Retaliation, while it might describe a reaction to an attack, is not listed as one of these formal principles. It can run counter to the requirements of discrimination and proportionality, and the law governs actions by these established rules rather than by revenge or automatic retaliation. So the option that does not fit as a formal principle is retaliation.