On Monday, Germany asked the International Court of Justice to dismiss a case filed by Nicaragua. In the lawsuit, Nicaragua accuses Germany of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide by supplying weapons to Israel.
Germany suspended arms exports to Israel for several months in 2025, but later resumed them. In October 2025, a United States-backed ceasefire took effect, halting large-scale combat operations in Gaza, though it did not end Israeli strikes.
Legal arguments and positions of the parties
Both countries are signatories to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which obligates states to act to prevent potential genocides. However, it is unusual for the International Court of Justice to hear cases where neither party is directly involved in the underlying conflict. Israel rejects the genocide allegations, calling them politically motivated, and maintains that its military campaign is directed against the Hamas group, whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.
Nicaragua‘s case is based on a lawsuit previously filed by South Africa against Israel. In 2024, the International Court of Justice issued an interim ruling noting that some rights guaranteed by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide may have been violated during Israel‘s military campaign in Gaza. Israel denies this, citing its compliance with international law and its right to self-defense. A full hearing on the merits of the genocide case is not expected until at least the end of 2029.
On Monday, Germany told the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, that Nicaragua failed to take appropriate steps before approaching the court and that a significant portion of its claims falls outside the jurisdiction provided by the genocide convention. “Germany respectfully requests the court to dismiss the claims of Nicaragua,” said Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, legal adviser to the German foreign ministry.
Nicaragua, which severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2024, will have the opportunity on Tuesday to argue why the case should proceed. The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations for resolving disputes between states and addressing violations of international treaties. Its decisions are final and cannot be appealed. A ruling on Germany‘s jurisdictional objections is expected later this year. Even if the court allows the case to proceed, it could take years before a final ruling on the merits is reached.
Source: The Straits Times
