Nicaragua on Friday submitted an application against Germany at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of 'facilitating' genocide in Gaza. It has accused Germany for giving financial and military aid to Israel and defunding the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.

"Nicaragua argues that by providing political, financial and military support to Israel and by defunding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), 'Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide and, in any case has failed in its obligation to do everything possible to prevent the commission of genocide'." the ICJ said in a statement.

Nicaragua requested the court to issue provisional measures "with respect to Germany's 'participation in the ongoing plausible genocide and serious breaches of international humanitarian law and other peremptory norms of general international law occurring in the Gaza Strip'."

According to Nicaragua's claim, Germany is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention and the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the laws of war in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The German foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The court usually sets a date for a hearing on any requested emergency measures within weeks of a case being filed.

Following Israel's allegations that 12 UNRWA staff members were involved in the October 7 massacres carried out by Hamas, several countries, including Germany, Britain, Japan, and the United States, opted to suspend their funding to UNRWA.

The assault saw thousands of Hamas-led terrorists storm southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 253 hostages.

Nicaragua's filing adds that emergency measures are imperative due to Berlin's "participation in the ongoing plausible genocide and serious breaches of international humanitarian law" in the Gaza Strip.

This claim builds on the case South Africa brought against Israel for allegedly committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Last month, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) determined that South Africa's assertions of Israel violating the genocide convention were not implausible. As a result, the ICJ issued emergency measures, which included a call for Israel to cease any potential acts of genocide in Gaza. Israel has refuted the allegations of genocide, asserting its right to self-defense.

Israel has dismissed South Africa’s case as a “grossly distorted story,” saying it has the right to defend itself and denying any acts of genocide.

ICJ rulings are legally binding, but the court has no enforcement mechanism

Israel this week submitted a report to the court showing that it was in compliance with its orders.

Under the genocide treaty countries not only agree not to commit genocide but also to the prevent and punish any possible genocide. It also makes complicity in genocide and attempting a genocide a violation of the treaty.

Germany is one of the largest arms exporters to Israel together with the United States, according to UN experts. 

On Friday, the European Commission emphasised that it was maintaining its funding of UNRWA while reviewing arrangements in light of the Israeli allegation.

The commission said it was releasing 50 million euros ($54 million) to the UN agency next week with a further 32 million euros to follow later.

Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, according to Israeli figures.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 30,000 people in the Strip have been killed in the fighting so far, a figure that cannot be independently verified and includes some 13,000 Hamas terrorists Israel says it has killed in battle. Israel also says it killed some 1,000 gunmen inside Israel on October 7.

Nicaragua's appeal to the World Court coincided with a report released by a panel of UN-appointed human rights experts on Thursday. The report strongly condemned the extent of human rights abuses committed by the government of President Daniel Ortega and his deputy, Rosario Murillo. The government faces accusations of brutally suppressing its critics, particularly following widespread protests against it in 2018.

Image source: AP