Nicaragua and Germany exchange accusations before the International Court of Justice over arms exports to Israel

Nicaragua said that German arms exports to Israel violate the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide and international humanitarian law, considering that these weapons are used in Israeli military operations in the Strip.

Germany rejected the accusations, describing them as having no legal or factual basis. It also challenged the court’s jurisdiction to consider the case and demanded a halt to the proceedings, noting that Israel is not a party to this case.

In April 2024, the International Court of Justice rejected an urgent request submitted by Nicaragua to oblige Germany to stop arms exports and military aid to Israel. However, the court did not accept Berlin's request to drop the case completely, which kept the judicial proceedings in place.

The sessions are scheduled to last 4 days, during which Germany will present its case regarding the court’s lack of jurisdiction and failure to accept some of Nicaragua’s demands, before the latter responds. No date has been set for issuing the decision, which may lead either to terminating the case or to continuing consideration of it on the merits.

The case is separate from South Africa's lawsuit against Israel before the same court, in which Pretoria accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel denies this accusation.