Nicaragua asked the International Court of Justice yesterday to order Germany to halt military arms exports to Israel and to resume its funding of UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, saying there is a serious risk of genocide in Gaza.
Nicaragua’s agent ambassador Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez told the court Berlin had violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by continuing to supply Israel with arms after ICJ judges ruled it was plausible that Israel violated some rights guaranteed under the genocide convention during its assault on Gaza.
“There can be no question that Germany (...) was well aware, and is well aware, of at least the serious risk of genocide being committed,” in the Gaza strip, Arguello Gomez said.
He told the judges that Berlin was ignoring its obligations under international law by continuing to provide military assistance to Israel.
“This has got to stop,” Arguello Gomez said.
Israel has denied allegations of genocide and said it has the right to defend itself.
The German government rejected Nicaragua’s allegations.
“Germany does not, and never did, violate the Genocide Convention nor international humanitarian law, neither directly nor indirectly,” Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, a legal adviser for the German Foreign Ministry told journalists at the ICJ.
Berlin will present its case in more detail in court today.
It is also one of the major arms exporters to Israel, sending 326.5 million euros ($353.70m) in military equipment and weapons in 2023, according to Economy Ministry data.
Since October 7, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the enclave.
Nicaragua’s case at the ICJ, also known as the World Court, builds on a genocide case South Africa brought against Israel. In January the ICJ ruled South Africa’s claims that Israel violated some rights guaranteed under the genocide convention during its assault on Gaza were plausible.