Nicaragua is requesting the court to order Berlin to stop its military assistance to Israel during times of war.
However, Uslar-Gleichen mentioned that Nicaragua rushed to file this case in court with very little evidence. He emphasized that Germany has made significant efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has visited the region multiple times to discuss aid issues.
Despite this, Germany has not yet lifted its ban on funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza. This ban was put in place after accusations that the agency was supporting Hamas fighters. In March, a top EU humanitarian aid official, Janez Lenarčič, dismissed these claims as baseless since Israeli officials did not provide any evidence.
German officials have been facing growing opposition domestically regarding the continued sale of arms to Israel. In 2023, Germany approved weapons exports to Israel totaling €326.5 million.
While supporting Israel is considered a historical obligation in Germany due to the Nazi Holocaust, the increasing death toll has caused some German officials to question if this support has gone too far.
In a separate case initiated by South Africa, the ICJ concluded that “some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa against Israel in Gaza could potentially fall under the provisions of the (Genocide) Convention.”
