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A view inside the courtroom of the International Court of Justice. The court heard on Tuesday Germany defend itself against accusations that it supports Israel’s genocide against Palestinians. File photo: Judge of the International Court of Justice/UPI.
April 9 (UPI) — Germany on Tuesday rejected accusations at the world court that Nicaragua’s case dealt with neither the facts nor the law applicable to the situation, accusing Israel of supporting genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. refused as such.
Tania von Ussler-Gleichen, Director-General of Justice at the German Foreign Ministry, spoke during the second day of hearings in The Hague on charges of violations of international humanitarian law brought against European states in the midst of the Iranian-backed war with Israel. On his last day, he made his first statement in defense of Berlin. Hamas in Gaza.
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Nicaragua launched legal proceedings last month, accusing Germany of “facilitating the commission of genocide” and failing to meet its obligations to prevent violations of the United Nations Genocide Convention over the supply of weapons to Israel.
The Netherlands’ ambassador to the Central American country asserted the country against Germany on Monday, and Berlin hit back on Tuesday.
Von Ussler-Gleichen said Nicaragua “fails to properly appreciate both the facts and the law” in the situation, and that Nicaragua had never contacted Berlin to discuss it before rushing to the International Court of Justice. He said no.
He said Germany follows international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles in its response to the conflict and is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities towards both Israel and Palestine.
He said Nicaragua’s accusations undermine Israel’s efforts by framing Hamas’s October 7 surprise attack, which started the war, as targeting occupied settlements in the indictment. He said they were denying their right to life.
“These attacks targeted communities within Israel’s borders – the state of Israel, not Gaza,” she said. “Does Nicaragua support its own character that these are Palestinian territories and therefore deny Israel the right to exist? Germany will not tolerate this.”
The Nicaraguan case focuses on a roughly $354 million arms and other military equipment deal that Germany struck with Israel last year, asking a court to force Berlin to cease disarmament with the Middle Eastern country. I’m looking for it.
Von Ussler-Gleichen defended the arms deal with Israel, accusing Nicaragua of “grossly” distorting the purpose and volume of military exports.
He said that arms exports to Israel are subject to detailed scrutiny that goes beyond international law, especially given Israel’s security threats following the October 7 attacks, and that these threats are “not of the essence.” “It’s a defensive thing,” he said.
“At the same time, Germany’s supply of weapons and other military equipment requires continuous assessment of the situation on the ground,” she said.
He added that Germany is also the largest individual donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, providing $221 million last year and more than $55 million so far this year. And financial support for Palestinians has tripled since October 7, she added.
He further said that Germany supports the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemns efforts to undermine it even in the midst of war.
“There is no doubt about Germany’s position,” she said.
Israel has repeatedly denied violating the UN Genocide Convention and faces two other lawsuits over its treatment of Palestinians. One is based on a United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted in 2022, and the other is brought by South Africa against Israel over the war in Gaza.
In late January, the court, while considering its final judgment in the South Africa case, issued a ruling ordering Israel to take immediate steps to stop the atrocities being committed in Gaza. South Africa has since called for further provisions to be added to reflect the deteriorating situation in Gaza.
In February, the court heard six days of arguments in a case related to a UN resolution over Israel’s nearly 60-year occupation of Palestinian territory, with an advisory opinion expected to be released at a later date.
Israel has been at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the taking of another 253 hostages.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.
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