The International Court of Justice rejected a request by Nicaragua on Tuesday to order Germany to halt military aid to Israel and renew funding to the UN aid agency in Gaza, UNRWA. The court stated that the legal conditions for such an order were not met and voted 15-1 to reject the request.
Despite this decision, the case will continue to be heard at the court. The court expressed deep concern over the living conditions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, particularly the deprivation of food and basic necessities they have been subjected to.
Germany argued that it has barely exported any weapons to Israel since the offensive against Gaza began following Hamas’ incursion into southern Israel on 7 October. Nicaragua, a longtime ally of the Palestinians, accuses Germany of enabling genocide by providing arms and support to Israel. Germany denies these allegations.
Israel, not a party to the case, denies accusations of genocide and asserts that its actions are in self-defense. This case is the latest legal effort by a country with ties to the Palestinian people to halt Israel’s offensive.
The ruling comes amid increasing pressure on Israel’s allies to stop supplying weapons and calls for more humanitarian aid to Gaza. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently stated that Israel must do more to increase aid to Gaza.
Nicaragua’s Ambassador to the Netherlands argued that Germany is failing to prevent genocide or uphold international humanitarian law. The case is expected to take years to resolve as the legal battle continues.