The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague ruled on Tuesday against Nicaragua's request for Germany to immediately cease its arms exports to Israel. The court, with a majority vote of 15 to 1, determined that the current circumstances did not warrant the issuance of emergency measures under article 41 of the ICJ statute.
Despite rejecting Nicaragua's demand, the ICJ also dismissed Germany's plea to remove the lawsuit from its docket, indicating that the case will proceed through the legal process, which could extend over several years. The ruling solely addressed the issue of whether Berlin should be compelled to stop selling arms to Israel without delay.
The lone dissenting vote against Germany came from the ad hoc judge appointed by Nicaragua, Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh. The court expressed concerns about the dire living conditions faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the prolonged deprivation of essential resources.
Nicaragua initiated the case against Germany, accusing the European nation of breaching its obligations as a Genocide Convention signatory by providing political, financial, and military support to Israel. Germany had also temporarily suspended funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in January, which it later reinstated.
Germany's legal representative, Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, welcomed the court's decision and refuted Nicaragua's allegations as baseless. The German Foreign Ministry reiterated that Germany is actively advocating for a two-state solution in the Middle East conflict and emphasized its commitment to peace efforts.
