Chief Justice Nawaf Salam (fourth from left) arrives to read a decision at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday.
Peter Dejong/AP
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Peter Dejong/AP
Chief Justice Nawaf Salam (fourth from left) arrives to read a decision at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday.
Peter Dejong/AP
BERLIN – The International Court of Justice has refused to order Germany to stop sending weapons and aid to Israel, rejecting a request from Nicaragua.
Nicaragua brought the case arguing that by providing weapons and other support to Israel, Germany is not preventing possible genocide against Palestinians in Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In a 15-1 vote on Tuesday, ICJ judges said in a prejudicial that, based on the legal arguments presented, the requirements to issue such an order were not met.
The German Foreign Ministry reacted to the decision. on social networks saying: “No one is above the law. This guides our actions. We welcome today’s decision by the International Court of Justice.”
He continued“Germany is not a party to the Middle East conflict, quite the opposite. We work day and night for a two-state solution. We are the largest donors of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.”
Israel is not a party to the case, but has strongly denied that it is committing acts of genocide in Gaza.
Germany is Israel’s second largest supplier of military equipment, after the United States. according the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
In early April, the head of Germany’s legal team, Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, said the Nicaragua case ignored “the facts and the law.”
“Unlike Nicaragua, Germany is not unaware that Hamas also has obligations under international humanitarian law.” she said.
The Nicaraguan ambassador to the Netherlands, Carlos José Argüello Gómez, he said during the inauguration In the case’s conclusion, “Germany is failing to fulfill its own obligation to prevent genocide or ensure respect for international humanitarian law.”
Germany requested that the ICJ dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction. The court, however, allows the case to continue, saying in its decision on Tuesday that it “remains deeply concerned by the catastrophic living conditions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”