Hamas hails Nicaragua's case before world court on Germany aiding Israel’s ‘genocide’

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - The Palestinian group Hamas on Monday welcomed a case brought by Nicaragua before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands seeking it to order Germany to cease providing support to Israel in its war on Gaza.

In a statement, Hamas expressed appreciation for "the lawsuit filed by the Republic of Nicaragua against Germany at the International Court of Justice that requests cessation of the military support provided by the German government to the Zionist occupation."

The group urged the world court to issue "firm decisions" that push towards halting the Israeli war on Gaza.

The ICJ began hearings on Monday on Nicaragua’s case, accusing Berlin of facilitating “genocide” in Gaza by providing political and military support to Israel.

Addressing the court, Nicaraguan Ambassador Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez said Germany is continuing its military support to Israel, although it is well aware that Israel’s violations may amount to an act of “genocide.”

He highlighted that Germany, as a party to the 1948 Genocide Convention, has to respect its obligations and stop sending weapons and military materiel to Israel.

“Nicaragua is requesting the court to order Germany to cease providing support to Israel in its campaign of destruction of the Palestinian people,” he said.

The German government remains one of the strongest supporters of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza despite growing public pressure. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly said that Germany bears special responsibility for Israel because of its Nazi history.

Berlin approved €326.5 million ($354 million) worth of weapons exports to Israel in 2023, the majority of which were approved after Oct. 7 that year, a tenfold increase compared to 2022.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas which killed nearly 1,200 people.

Over 33,200 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 76,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

On March 25, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. While Hamas welcomed the resolution, Israel rejected the cease-fire call and vowed to continue its war on the Palestinian enclave.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in January issued an interim ruling that ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.