Because Germany supported Israel politically and militarily and blocked UNRWA funds, Nicaragua sued the Federal Republic of Germany before the International Court of Justice. The accusation: abetting genocide.
The Central American Nicaragua has filed a lawsuit against Germany at the highest UN court. It accuses the Federal Republic of “facilitating genocide” in the Gaza Strip. The authoritarian country justified its move with Germany’s political, financial and military support for Israel and the cutting of funding for the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced in The Hague.
Germany is therefore not fulfilling its obligation to “do everything to prevent the commission of genocide,” according to the submitted application. The country called for an urgent decision to be issued against Germany.
Following allegations that UNRWA employees were involved in the Islamist Hamas movement’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, numerous important donor states have stopped contributing to the aid agency. In addition to Germany, these include the USA, Great Britain and Sweden.
South Africa’s lawsuit
At the end of December, South Africa – like Nicaragua, a strong supporter of Palestinian rights – sued Israel before the International Court of Justice for alleged violations of the Genocide Convention committed in the Gaza war. The UN court ruled in an interim ruling that Israel must take protective measures to prevent genocide.
Another urgent appeal by South Africa against Israel over its impending military offensive in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip has been rejected.
Hamas attack and Israel’s response
Hundreds of members of the terrorist organization Hamas entered Israel on October 7th and committed atrocities primarily against civilians. According to Israeli information, they killed more than 1,100 people and kidnapped around 250 others as hostages in the Gaza Strip.
In response to the Hamas attack, Israel has since taken massive military action in the Gaza Strip, with the declared aim of destroying Hamas. According to the Hamas Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 30,000 people have been killed since then.