The International Court of Justice today# reje cease-fire after it accused Israel of genocide.# But the court also rejected Israel's request## for a dismissal and acknowledged genocide# accusations should be further investigated,## ensuring a legal spotlight will# continue to shine on the war.

Nick Schifrin reports.

JUDGE JOAN DONOGHUE, International# Co humanitarian s NICK SCHIFRIN: In the Hague today,# the Internatio delivered what a Palestinian human rights# JU DGE JOAN DONOGHUE: Israel must,# in accordance with its obligations## under the Genocide Convention, in relation to# Palestinia its power to prevent the commission of all acts# within the scope of Article 2 of the convention.

WOMAN: The draft Convention on Genocide.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The Genocide# Convention was adopted 75 years born out of the Nazis' systematic# campaign to eliminate European And Article 2 defines genocide as acts# committed with the intent to destroy,## in whole or in part, a national,# ethical, racial or religious group,## and cites as examples killing, injuring,# inflicting conditions calculated to bring## about physical destruction, preventing# births or transferring children.

JUDGE JOAN DONOGHUE: Israel must# ensure with immediate effect that## its military forces do not commit# any of the aforementioned acts NICK SCHIFRIN: The court declined South# Africa's request for a cease-fire in Gaza## and acknowledged Israel's right to defend# itself.

But it also said Israel must take## immediate and effective measures to# deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza,## prevent and punish incitement to commit genocide,# and preserve evidence of its military The first two were supported even by# Israel's ad hoc judge on the court.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Israeli# Prime Minister: Israel's## NICK SCHIFRIN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin# Netanyahu today vowed to continue the war but also pledged the very steps# that the court had demanded.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Our war is against# Hamas terrorists, not against Palestinian# civilians.

We will continue to facilitate# humanitarian assistance and to do to keep civilians out of harm's way, even# as Hamas uses civilians as human shields.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But Israel's defense minister,# Yoav Gallant, was less restrained.

In a statement,## he said: "Those who seek justice will not find# it on the leather chairs of the court chambers## in The Hague.

They will find it in the Hamas# tunnels in Gaza, where 136 hostages are held."

JOHN KIRBY, NSC Coordinator For Strategic# Communications: We respect the court's## role as an arbiter of solv NICK SCHIFRIN: Today, at the White House,## National Sec calls to minimize civilian casualties# and send humanitarian assistance.

But he also said it would not# change U.S. assistance to Israel.

JOHN KIRBY: It's difficult to see that it alone# is going to change the approach.

the president believes the approach we have been## taking has been getting re NICK SCHIFRIN: In a reminder of the October 7# Hamas terrorist attack that started this war,# today, the U.N.'s principal agency in Gaza fired# 12 employees for participating in the attack.

In response, the U.S. temporarily# suspended financial support to the agency,## which provides all of Gaza's basic services.

GILAD ERDAN, Israeli Ambassador to the United# Nations: How symboli Holocaust remembrance day, it was exposed that# UNRWA employees took par NICK SCHIFRIN: For perspective on the# International Court of Justice's orders today,## we turn to Harold Koh, who served as the# State Department's legal advi Obama administration and assistant secretary of# state for democracy and human rights Clinton administration.

He's now a professor# of international law at Yale Law School.

Harold Koh, thanks very much.# Welcome back to the "NewsHour."

What's your reaction today to the# Internatio HAROLD KOH, Former State Department Official: I# think it's a lopsided le and it's a very severe public# relations loss for Israel.

I think it has some virtues.

I think# it's going to force the Israelis to## be much more open about granting of# access to humanitarian assistance,## and it's going to encourage its politicians# to dial back their over-the-top rhetoric,## which the court indicated might be# considered incitement to genocide.

But it's an unbalanced ruling also,# in that it doesn't require Hamas to## do anything.

It leaves Hamas# free to continue its attacks.

NICK SCHIFRIN: When it comes to Israel,## does it fundamentall HAROLD KOH: Well, they didn't tell them to stop.

But the Israelis had said that calling term.

What the court said, and by a very decisive# margin, 15-2, is that some of the acts could be## capable of being viewed as either committing# genocide or failing to prevent genocide, meaning## that this is a plausible claim, depending on how# severe civilian casualties are going forward.

So the Israelis have to take that very# seriously.

The kind of unrestrained## language that was quoted showed that# the politicians in the days after## October 7 were really using overbroad# language.

And even the Israeli judge,## the great Aharon Barak, said, you# have to give humanitarian assistance,## and you can't make these intemperate statements# that can be viewed by some as a call to genocide.

NICK SCHIFRIN: On Israeli military# actions, the court's not actually## saying Israel has to be more precise,# does it?

The must -- quote -- "prevent the commission# of acts" described in the convention that# would show -- quote -- "the intent to# destroy Palestinians in Gaza," right?

HAROLD KOH: Yes, so it's possible the Israelis# could respond by saying, we're going to d same things we're doing and just very much# renounce that we have any ag ainst the Palestinians in Gaza, as opposed to# Hamas, who we have said we want to eradicate.

The problem, though, is that what the court# flagged is that the scale of civilian deaths## is so broad that from those deaths# you could infer, possibly infer,## an intent to wipe out a group.

So I do# think that it forces the Israelis to be## much more careful and discriminate# than they have been to this point.

NICK SCHIFRIN: As we just showed,# John Kirby today, the spokesman## for the National Security Council staff, said,# this wou Is he right?

HAROLD K The United States wants -- doesn't want to# be accused of aiding a So all conversations are going to# be inflected through the idea is,## could what we're doing in terms of aid# to the Israelis be taken as aiding and## abetting genocide?

They want# to stay on the side of it.

I think also what Kirby said was, the# ruling tells -- says only what be en saying to the Israelis anyway,# which suggests that it may actually## help the United States in calling for# the restraint from -- more restraint## from the Netanyahu government, both# in terms of its words and actions.

NICK SCHIFRIN: What kinds of specific steps could# the Biden administration take when it comes to## pushing Israel one way or the other, if it does,# as you say, use this court ruling for that effect?

HAROLD KOH: The Biden administration could say,# you have to monitor the rules of engagement so## that there's some assurance that they're actually# following international humanitarian law.

It's a well-publicized story that Israeli# troops fired upon and killed people holding## a white flag.

And the obvious question# is, what kind of rules of engagement are## they operating under in which they would# fire when someone's waving a white flag?

And I think what they could say is, we're# telling you this because we're your friends,## but also because we think you're under# the supervision of the court.

And if## you don't take it seriously, they're# going to rule against you further.

NICK SCHIFRIN: As we reported earlier,# the U.S. has suspended funding to t U.N.

Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA,# after the U.N. adm staff members participated in the# October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

And John Kirby today went even further.

He said# -- quote -- "We'll certainly consider additional## changes in the way we support UNRWA going# forward, depending on the U.N.

investigation."

How significant is that?

HAROLD KOH: Th Gaza.

It's absolutely critical to alleviating the# humanitarian crisis, which is going on right now,## which may lead to the death of thousands# more civilians in the next period.

So it's hard to do this without UNRWA.

On the# other hand, it's already become clear that## at least some part of UNRWA is compromised.# Commissioner General Lazzarini of the UNRWA## fired 12 people already.

I think what it will# do is also create a pall over U.N. activities.

The International Court of Justice opinion# actually quoted language from Lazzarini## in its report.

And the Israelis# could now say that that -- those## statements are biased or inflicted by an# anti-Israel view on the part of UNRWA.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Harold Koh, thank you very much.

HAROLD KOH: Thank you, Nick.