THE HAGUE: The UN’s top court on Tuesday threw out Nicaragua’s request for emergency measures to stop Germany sending military supplies to Israel because of its military’s brutalities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. International Court of Justice presiding judge Nawaf Salam argued that the circumstances presented to the court did not warrant “provisional measures”.
Nicaragua had brought the case before the ICJ, accusing Germany of violating the 1948 international genocide convention by providing military assistance to Israel. Nicaragua targeted Germany instead of the United States, Israel’s main ally, as the US does not recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction in this case.
During the court proceedings, Nicaragua argued that Germany’s supply of weapons to Israel was “pathetic” and called for immediate suspension of military aid. In response, Germany defended its actions, emphasizing that Israel’s security was a priority and that it exercised meticulous scrutiny over arms supplies to Israel.
The ICJ judges sided with Germany, noting that Germany had fulfilled its obligations under the genocide convention and had significantly reduced its military supplies to Israel since November 2023.
The Gaza war, which began with an attack by Hamas on October 7. Since October 7, Israel’s relentless bombardment campaign has killed over 34,535 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza. Cases related to the Gaza war in the ICJ have garnered international attention, including South Africa’s accusation of Israel perpetuating genocide in Gaza.
Despite ICJ decisions being binding, the court lacks mechanisms to enforce them. For example, a previous order for Russia to cease its invasion of Ukraine went unheeded.
