Germany urges World Court to dismiss Nicaragua's arms-export genocide case

Germany has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to dismiss a case brought by Nicaragua, which accuses Berlin of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by supplying weapons to Israel. The hearing at the UN's top court in The Hague opened on Monday, with Germany arguing that the case should not proceed.

Berlin's legal adviser, Julia Monar, told the judges that Nicaragua had failed to follow proper procedures before approaching the court. Germany also contends that most of the claims fall outside the jurisdiction granted under the genocide treaty. "Germany respectfully requests the court to reject Nicaragua's claims," Monar said.

Nicaragua, which severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024 over the Gaza war, will present its arguments on Tuesday for why the case should move forward. A ruling on Germany's jurisdictional objection is expected later this year. If the case continues, a final verdict on the merits could take years.

Germany suspended weapons exports to Israel for a few months in 2025, but shipments have since resumed. A U.S.-backed ceasefire that began in October 2025 halted large-scale fighting in Gaza, though Israeli strikes have not fully stopped.

Nicaragua's case builds on a separate genocide claim South Africa brought against Israel. In an interim ruling in 2024, the ICJ said it was plausible that Israel had violated some rights under the Genocide Convention during its assault on Gaza. Israel rejects all genocide allegations as politically motivated and maintains its campaign targeted Hamas, whose October 2023 attack triggered the war.

The ICJ handles disputes between states and its rulings are final and without appeal. It is uncommon for the court to hear cases where neither party is directly involved in the underlying conflict.