(30.04.2024)
Nicaragua hatte als vorläufige Massnahmen den sofortigen Stopp deutscher Rüstungslieferungen an Israel gefordert. Das zentralamerikanische Land begründete dies damit, dass Deutschland durch Waffenlieferungen an Israel einen Genozid ermögliche und damit gegen internationales Recht verstosse. Nicaragua hatte zudem eine Wiederaufnahme von Zahlungen eingefrorener Beiträge für das Palästinenserhilfswerk UNRWA im Gazastreifen gefordert.
Nicaragua hatte mit der Klage auch einen Eilantrag gestellt und fordert im Schnellverfahren eine Anordnung der Richter, dass Deutschland die Lieferungen von Rüstungsgütern an Israel stoppt.
“On Tuesday, 30 April 2024, the International Court of Justice will deliver its Order on the Request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Nicaragua in the case concerning Alleged Breaches of Certain International Obligations in respect of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the Court said in a statement.
THE HAGUE, 26 April 2024. On Tuesday 30 April 2024, the International Court of Justice will deliver its Order on the Request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Nicaragua in the case concerning Alleged Breaches of Certain International Obligations in respect of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Nicaragua v. Germany). A public sitting will take place at 3 p.m. at the Peace Palace in The Hague, during which Judge Nawaf Salam, President of the Court, will read the Court’s Order.
Germany has been most prominent in this regard. In 2023 30% of Israel’s military equipment purchases totalling US$326 million came from Berlin. The Scholz government has also been a firm public supporter of Israel’s offensive. “There is only one place for Germany at this time, and that is by Israel’s side,” proclaimed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to German lawmakers on October 12 last year. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock curtly stated that “It was not the job of politicians to tell the guns to shut up.
Baerbock’s remarks were all the more jarring given the 2006 views of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was then serving as Germany’s foreign minister. With puffed up confidence, he claimed then that Europeans and Germans had played a seminal role in ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in “silencing of the guns.”
(13.04.2024)
„This morning, at 10 o‘clock, I landed in Berlin to attend a conference on Palestine, where I had been asked, along with many others … to give my evidence of the 43 days that I had seen in the hospitals in Gaza, working in both al-Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals,“ he said.
Abu Sittah said he was escorted from the passport office to the basement of the airport, where he was questioned for three-and-a-half hours.
„At the end of three-and-a-half hours, I was told that I woud not be allowed to enter German soil and that this ban will last the whole of April,“ he said.
812.04.2024)
Die Organisatoren hatten den Tagungsort erst am Vormittag bei einer Pressekonferenz im Stadtteil Wedding und auf der Webseite des Kongresses bekannt gegeben. In der Ankündigung für den Kongress und in der Pressekonferenz warfen sie Israel unter anderem „Apartheid“, „Kolonialismus“ und „Völkermord“ (Genozid) im Gazastreifen vor. Deutschland trage eine „Mitschuld“, weil es Waffen an Israel liefere.
Es ist Freitag gegen Abend, der 12. April 2024. In der Hand hält der Arzt ein Mikrophon von Middle East Eye (MEE), einem in England ansässigen Internetportal, das in englischer und französischer Sprache Nachrichten über den Nahen und Mittleren Osten veröffentlicht. Ruhig und überlegt berichtet der Arzt, was ihm am Berliner Flughafen widerfahren ist, eindringlich blicken seine Augen durch die großen, dunkel gerahmten Brillengläser.
Das Gericht befasst sich im Rahmen der Klage auch mit einem Eilantrag Nicaraguas. Das mittelamerikanische Land fordert den sofortigen Stopp der deutschen Rüstungslieferungen an Israel sowie die Wiederaufnahme der eingefrorenen Beiträge für das UN-Palästinenserhilfswerk UNRWA im Gazastreifen. Mit einer Entscheidung wird in etwa zwei Wochen gerechnet. Entscheidungen des Gerichts sind bindend.
Staunch allies calling themselves friends of Israel are beginning to realise they are also friends of the murderers of western aid workers, friends of genocide and friends of fascism
he PRESIDENT: Please be seated. The sitting is open.
The Court meets this morning to hear the single round of oral argument of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by the Republic of Nicaragua in the case concerning Alleged Breaches of Certain International Obligations in respect of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Nicaragua v. Germany).
I now give the floor to the Agent of Germany, Ms Tania von Uslar-Gleichen. You have the floor, Madam.
Ms VON USLAR-GLEICHEN:
OPENING STATEMENT
1. Members of the Court, it is an honour to address you today and to open the oral proceedings for the Federal Republic of Germany.
2. Monsieur le Président, Madame la Vice-Présidente, permettez-moi au début de vous féliciter chaleureusement pour votre élection.
3. Germany comes to these proceedings as a friend of the Court and a firm believer in the peaceful settlement of international disputes. Proceedings before this Court are rightly noted for their deep and serious engagement with the law and the facts.
4. Respect for, as well as the promotion of, international law are cornerstones of Germany’s constitution and of its foreign policy. Germany has always been an advocate for the promotion and strengthening of international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles…
(today)
Germany and other Western nations have faced street protests, various legal cases, and accusations of hypocrisy from campaign groups who say Israel has killed too many Palestinian civilians in its six-month military assault.
But Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, legal adviser for the German Foreign Ministry, told the International Court of Justice judges that Nicaragua‘s case was rushed, based on flimsy evidence and should be thrown out due to lack of jurisdiction.
Tatsächlich sitzt Deutschland allein auf der Anklagebank. Das ist möglich, weil es – so wie Nicaragua – den Gerichtshof anerkennt – und die UN-Konvention zur Verhütung von Völkermord. Auch die USA hatten ihre Zahlungen an UNRWA gestoppt, erkennen den IGH aber nicht an.
Nicaragua hatte noch weitere Länder im Visier: Kanada und Großbritannien haben eine Frist von einem halben Jahr, um zu reagieren. Und die Niederlande traten mit Nicaragua in einen Dialog – den Nicaragua mit Deutschland nicht suchte.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, holds public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Nicaragua in the case Nicaragua v. Germany on 8 and 9 April 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. Session held under the presidency of Judge Nawaf Salam, President of the Court.
The Government of the Republic of Nicaragua is represented by:
HE Mr Carlos José Argüello Gómez, Ambassador of the Republic of Nicaragua to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Nicaragua to the international organizations based in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, member of the International Law Commission,
as Agent and Counsel;
Mr Alain Pellet, Emeritus Professor of the University Paris Nanterre, former Chairperson of the International Law Commission, member and former President of the Institut de droit international,
Mr Daniel Müller, Founding Partner of FAR Avocats, member of the Paris Bar,
as Counsel and Advocates;
Ms Claudia Loza Obregon, Legal Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua,
Mr Ysam Soualhi, PhD candidate, Faculty of Law, University of Angers,
as Assistant Counsel;
Ms Sherly Noguera de Argüello, Consul General of the Republic of Nicaragua,
as Administrator;
Ms Kassandra Gómez Pineda, First Secretary, Permanent Representation of the Republic of
Nicaragua to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,
Mr Pedro Hernández Balladarez, Financial Administrative Officer, Permanent Representation of the Republic of Nicaragua to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,
HE Mr Ammar Hijazi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for Multilateral Affairs of the State of Palestine,
HE Mr Omar Awadallah, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for the United Nations and Specialized Agencies of the State of Palestine,
Mr Federico Argüello Noguera,
as Members of the Delegation.
The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany is represented by:
Ms Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, Legal Adviser and Director-General for Legal Affairs, Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany,
as Agent;
Ms Wiebke Rückert, Director for Public International Law, Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Case: https://www.icj-cij.org/case/131
Document quoted: https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/131/131-20040709-ADV-01-00-EN.pdf (pdf)
„Deutschland hat weder die Völkermordkonvention noch das humanitäre Völkerrecht verletzt“, sagte ein Regierungssprecher. Das werde man vor dem IGH entsprechend darlegen. Bei der Erteilung der Genehmigung von Rüstungsexporten halte sich die Bundesregierung an die Einhaltung des internationalen Rechts, sagte der Sprecher. Deutschland wird seine Position am Dienstag vor den 16 Richtern des UN-Gerichts darlegen. Eine Entscheidung wird in etwa zwei Wochen erwartet.
Nicaragua, a longstanding supporter of the Palestinian cause, is broadening the legal battle over the Gaza conflict at the International Court of Justice by bringing a case against Germany, a major supplier of arms to Israel.
In his opening comments to the court, Nicaraguan Ambassador to the Netherlands Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez said that, through its continued support of Israel: „Germany is failing to honour its own obligation to prevent genocide or to ensure respect of international humanitarian law.“
Nicaragua demanded the court issue five provisional measures, including that Germany „immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance, including military equipment“ and that it „reverse its decision to suspend the funding of Unrwa“.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, holds public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Nicaragua in the case Nicaragua v. Germany on 8 and 9 April 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. Session held under the presidency of Judge Nawaf Salam, President of the Court.
(15.03.2024)
It is recalled that Nicaragua filed an Application instituting proceedings against Germany concerning alleged violations by Germany of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, “intransgressible principles of international humanitarian law” and other norms of general international law in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the Gaza Strip (see press release 2024/19).
The hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures
contained in Nicaragua’s Application. Nicaragua asks the Court to indicate provisional measures as a matter of extreme urgency, pending the Court’s determination on the merits of the case, 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”.
(03.04.2024)
Calling Israel “an extension of European colonialism”, Ahmed Abofoul, a Legal Expert at Al-Haq, said that South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice represents the Global South’s impatience with Western hypocrisy. He criticized the West’s relentless campaign of distorting international law to support their stance — an example is the right to self-defence. There is no doubt that an occupying Power does not have the right to self-defence against the people it is occupying, as those people, according to international humanitarian law, have the right to self-defence. The West’s complicity has made Gaza “not only a graveyard of children but a graveyard of international law”, he asserted. On the UNRWA accusations, he observed that Western democracies moved fast to suspend funding without waiting for evidence, only to discover later that Israel was lying.
In a statement on the eve of the six-month anniversary of the war, Martin Griffiths, the outgoing under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, called for a „collective determination that there be a reckoning for this betrayal of humanity.“
„Each day, this war claims more civilian victims,“ said Griffiths, who will leave his post at the end of June due to health reasons.
„Every second that it continues sows the seeds of a future so deeply obscured by this relentless conflict.“
(01.03.2024)
It is recalled that Nicaragua filed an Application instituting proceedings against Germany concerning alleged violations by Germany of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, “intransgressible principles of international humanitarian law” and other norms of general international law in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the Gaza Strip (see press release 2024/19).
The hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures contained in Nicaragua’s Application. Nicaragua asks the Court to indicate provisional measures as a matter of extreme urgency, pending the Court’s determination on the merits of the case, 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”.
(05.04.2024)
Calls for an international arms embargo on Israel gained backing from Algeria to Vietnam in a vote at the United Nations’ top human rights body Friday, adding to a movement that has seen several European nations pause the sale of weapons and key U.S. allies such as Britain and France debate it.
But so far, the movement lacks the clear support of two countries that supply almost all imported weapons to Israel: the United States and Germany. Both voted against the nonbinding resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council this week.
The toll includes at least 46 people killed in the last 24 hours, adding that at least 75,815 were wounded since the war on the strip began.
„Your – your question presumes, at this very early hour, that it was a deliberate strike, that they knew exactly what they were hitting, that they were hitting aid workers and did it on purpose. And there’s no evidence of that,“ Kirby told the reporter.
„I would also remind you, sir, that we continue to look at incidents as they occur. The State Department has a process in place. And to date, as you and I are speaking, they have not found any incidents where the Israelis have violated international humanitarian law.“
(04.04.2024)
This was not just a bad luck situation where, ‚Oops, we dropped a bomb in the wrong place,'“ Andrés told the Reuters news agency, stressing that his team‘s vehicles were clearly marked and „it‘s very clear who we are and what we do.“
„They were targeting us in a deconflicting zone, in an area controlled by IDF. They, knowing that it was our teams moving on that road… with three cars,“ he said, adding that he believed the seven aid workers killed by the strike in Gaza were targeted „systematically, car by car.“
(03.04.2024)
„For her it was the perfect job, she got to serve hot meals to people who were having maybe the lowest point of their lives,“ her friend Bryan Weaver told Reuters.
„She made you feel like you were the only person in the room.
In a statement, her family said Zomi left behind a legacy of compassion, bravery and love.
(02.04.2024)
Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.
“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore.
The seven killed are from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, and Palestine.
(04.04.2024)
The Biden administration has continued to provide weapons at a rapid pace despite the overwhelming evidence that war crimes are being committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip using U.S.-made munitions. While Palestinians in Gaza remain at risk of genocide and an imminent Israeli government-engineered famine, President Biden last week authorized the transfer of 1,800 MK84 2000-pound bombs that one senior administration official said, “can destroy entire blocks.” opens in a new tab According to news reports, the President is also getting close to greenlighting a sale of $18 billion for American-made F-15 fighter jets. opens in a new tab
– Israeli forces unlawfully attacked a residential building in Gaza on October 31, 2023, absent any apparent military target, killing at least 106 civilians, including 54 children.
– Scores of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since October 7 have caused thousands of civilian casualties, underscoring the greater risk of unlawful attacks from explosive weapons in populated areas.
– Governments should suspend arms transfers to Israel, support the International Criminal Court investigation in Palestine, and impose targeted sanctions on officials responsible for laws-of-war violations.
(25.03.2024)
On April 8 and 9, the International Court of Justice will once again hold hearings on the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
This time the judges in The Hague will be listening to arguments in the case brought by Nicaragua against Germany.
The Central American nation accuses Berlin of violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention and other “intransgressible principles of international humanitarian law,” including the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Germany has been one of Israel’s staunch allies in its war against Hamas.
In a manner akin to the Biden administration, Scholz has a stern message for Netanyahu about the IDF’s conduct during the war, particularly its failure to ensure the distribution of aid, which has led to a hunger crisis in Gaza.
„We cannot stand by and risk Palestinian women and men starving. Much more humanitarian aid must reach Gaza, a way must be found to improve the means of distribution,“ Scholz said, as Western nations increase their criticism of ally Israel.
Still, Scholz reaffirmed his belief that Israel „has a right to defend itself“ without addressing whether that same right is extended to Palestinians.
It is recalled that Nicaragua filed an Application instituting proceedings against Germany concerning alleged violations by Germany of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, “intransgressible principles of international humanitarian law” and other norms of general international law in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the Gaza Strip (see press release 2024/19).
The hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures contained in Nicaragua’s Application. Nicaragua asks the Court to indicate provisional measures as a matter of extreme urgency, pending the Court’s determination on the merits of the case, 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”.
Am 8. und 9. April wird der Internationale Gerichtshof (IGH) im Verfahren gegen Deutschland verhandeln. Nicaragua wirft der Bundesrepublik Beihilfe zum Völkermord im Gazastreifen vor, indem sie Israel politisch, finanziell und militärisch unterstützt sowie die Mittel für das UN-Palästinenserhilfswerk gestrichen habe.
Im Gazastreifen bestehe seit Oktober 2023 „die anerkannte Gefahr eines Völkermordes am palästinensischen Volk“. Deutschland habe durch seine Unterstützung für Israel gegen seine Verpflichtungen aus der Völkermordkonvention verstoßen, heißt es in der Klage Nicaraguas.
Top UN judges will start listening to submissions next month in the case filed by Nicaragua accusing Berlin of facilitating “genocide” in Gaza because of its support for Israel in the war against Hamas, officials say.
Two weeks ago Nicaragua filed a case against Germany before the International Court of Justice, saying Berlin was “facilitating the commission of genocide and… failed in its obligation to do everything possible to prevent the commission of genocide,” in Gaza.