Note that the accusation of genocide was not accepted by the court. Rather, the court's actions were limited to admonishing Israel not to engage in genocide in the future. Which should be a pretty clear indication that the mere act of engaging in military hostilities in an urban area - which inevitably results in a lot of civilian casualties - is not in and of itself genocide or a war crime.

It's not a violation of international law, or genocide, to engage with an enemy belligerent if the belligerent has embedded itself in a civilian population. The enemy belligerent is committing a war crime - you're not allowed to integrate your military infrastructure, personnel, or materiel among civilians. But once they've done that, it doesn't mean that they're allowed to attack with impunity with no response merely because any response will result in large numbers of civilian deaths.

US Policy FAQ

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