ICJ rejects emergency measures over German arms exports to Israel

THE HAGUE: Judges at the International Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled against issuing emergency orders to stop German arms exports to Israel, while expressing deep concern about “catastrophic living conditions in Gaza”. But the court also rejected a German request to throw out the case, so it can now move forward.

Nicaragua had asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, to order Germany to halt military arms exports to Israel and to resume its funding of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, saying there was a serious risk of genocide in Gaza.

The court refused to issue any orders, saying that the current circumstances presented by Nicaragua were not such that the court needed to issue emergency measures.

The presiding judge, Nawaf Salam, added: “The court remains deeply concerned about the catastrophic living conditions of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in particular, in view of the prolonged and widespread deprivation of food and other basic necessities to which they have been subjected.”

Nicaragua accuses Berlin of violating international humanitarian law and the 1948 Genocide Convention by continuing to supply Israel with arms after ICJ judges ruled in January that it was plausible Israel violated some rights guaranteed under the genocide convention during its assault on Gaza.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2024