Germany contests ICJ jurisdiction in Nicaragua's Gaza genocide support case

September 7, 2026 at 10:08 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Germany challenged the International Court of Justice's jurisdiction on Monday in a case brought by Nicaragua accusing Berlin of supporting genocide in Gaza. German legal adviser Julia Monar told judges in The Hague that the case cannot proceed without Israel's consent as a third party. Germany also disclosed it licensed 800 million euros in military exports to Israel in the first half of 2026.

Key Facts

Germany argued the ICJ cannot rule on Nicaragua's case without first determining the legality of Israel's actions in Gaza, and Israel is not a party to the case.
Julia Monar, Germany's Director-General for Legal Affairs, said Germany suspended arms export licenses for weapons usable in Gaza from August 8 to November 23, 2025.
Der Spiegel reported that Germany licensed 800 million euros in military exports to Israel between January and June 2026.
Oxford professor Antonios Tzanakopoulos argued Nicaragua and Germany had no dispute when the case was filed.

Jurisdictional Objections

Germany's delegation presented preliminary objections to ICJ judges at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Germany argued the case cannot proceed without first ruling on the legality of Israel's actions in Gaza, but Israel is not a party and has not consented. Oxford University international law professor Antonios Tzanakopoulos said Nicaragua and Germany had no dispute when the case was filed. Tzanakopoulos added that Nicaragua did not notify Germany of a dispute requiring ICJ involvement at the time of filing.

Arms Export Suspension

Julia Monar said Germany suspended approval of export licenses for weapons usable in Gaza from August 8 to November 23, 2025. Monar linked the suspension directly to the ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025. Germany lifted export restrictions on November 24, 2025, and licensed 800 million euros in military supplies to Israel from January to June 2026, according to Der Spiegel. The figure came from the Economy and Energy Ministry's written response to a parliamentary question from the Left Party.

Germany's Defense

Monar said Germany's support for Israel is inseparable from its commitments to international humanitarian law. She stated that unwavering support for Israel's existence and security forms the core of German-Israeli relations rooted in Germany's permanent historical responsibility. Monar cited Germany's financial support to UNRWA as evidence of support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. She said German authorities provided detailed information to complainants about decisions on arms export requests, with some rejected without investigation.