Germany urges UN’s top court to dismiss Gaza genocide case
Germany on Monday urged the United Nations’ top court to throw out a case against it by Nicaragua, which has accused Berlin of “facilitating genocide” in Gaza with its support of Israel. Julia Monar, representing Germany at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), said judges lacked the jurisdiction to rule on the case and dismissed Nicaragua’s accusations as “inaccurate and distorted”.…
Germany sought on Monday for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to dismiss a 2024 case filed by Nicaragua accusing Germany of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention due to its arms supply to Israel. Berlin temporarily halted weapons exports to Israel in 2025 but resumed them afterward. A US-backed ceasefire in October 2025 ended large-scale fighting in Gaza, though Israeli strikes continued.
As signatories to the Genocide Convention, both Nicaragua and Germany are obligated to prevent possible genocides, though it's rare for the court to hear a case when neither party is directly involved in the conflict. Israel denies the genocide allegations, calling them politically motivated and asserts its military actions targeted the militant group Hamas, which sparked the war in October 2023.
Nicaragua’s claim is based on a previous case brought against Israel by South Africa alleging genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. In 2024, the ICJ delivered an interim ruling suggesting Israel may have violated certain Genocide Convention rights during its assault on Gaza. Israel maintains its compliance with international law and its right to self-defense.
Full hearings on the genocide case are not anticipated until late 2029. Germany informed the ICJ that Nicaragua had not fulfilled the necessary procedural steps before approaching the court, and a significant portion of the claim falls outside the jurisdiction granted under the genocide treaty. Germany respectfully requests the court to reject Nicaragua's claims.
Nicaragua severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024 over the Gaza war and will have an opportunity on Tuesday to argue for proceeding with the case. A ruling on Germany's objection to jurisdiction is expected later in the year. Even if the case proceeds, a final ruling on the merits is projected to take years. The ICJ, the UN's highest court, handles disputes between states and alleged violations of various international treaties, with its decisions being final and non-appealable.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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