Nicaragua wants the court to compel Berlin to cease its military support for Israel during wartime.
But Uslar-Gleichen said that Nicaragua “rushed to bring this case to court on the basis of the flimsiest of evidence,” stressing that Germany “has left no stone unturned” to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as its Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled many times to the region to discuss aid issues.
Germany, however, has still not lifted its ban on funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, after the agency was accused of aiding Hamas fighters — a claim that was dismissed in March by a top EU humanitarian aid official Janez Lenarčič as unfounded since Israeli officials had not provided any evidence.
German officials have faced increasing domestic hostility to the continuation of arms sales to Israel. In 2023, Germany approved weapons exports to Israel worth €326.5 million.
While supporting Israel is seen as a historic duty in Germany due to the Nazi Holocaust, the mounting death toll has led some German officials to ask whether that backing is going too far.
In a separate case brought by South Africa, the ICJ ruled that “at least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa to have been committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the (Genocide) Convention.”
