Germany's legal team told the court that 98% of arms exports to Israel since October 7 were general equipment such as vests, helmets and binoculars.
Germany has denied accusations in a UN Supreme Court case brought by Nicaragua that it supported genocide in the Gaza Strip by selling Israeli arms. The case reflects a growing number of cases in support of Palestinians.
German Foreign Ministry legal adviser Tania von Ussler-Gleichen told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Tuesday that Nicaragua's case was hastily filed on weak evidence and lacked jurisdiction. It stated that the case should be dismissed for the following reasons.
Arms exports are scrutinized for compliance with international law, she said.
He added that Germany is the largest individual donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and that “Germany is doing everything in its power to fulfill its responsibilities towards both Israel and Palestine.”
Von Ussler-Gleichen said Israel's security was a priority for Germany, given the history of the Nazis' genocide of Jews.
Germany is one of Israel's biggest military suppliers, sending 326.5 million euros ($353.7 million) in equipment and weapons in 2023, according to Economy Ministry data.
Since the October 7 attack by Hamas, the Palestinian group that rules Gaza, and the subsequent Israeli attack on Gaza, Berlin has become one of Israel's most ardent supporters.
Germany and other Western countries have faced street protests, various lawsuits and hypocritical accusations from campaign groups that Israel has killed too many Palestinian civilians in six months of attacks. There is.
At least 1,139 people were killed in the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics.
Since then, Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 33,360 people and injured 75,993, according to the Palestinian Authority.
German lawyer Christian Tams told the court that since October 7, 98% of arms exports to Israel were general equipment such as vests, helmets and binoculars.
He also said that of the four war weapons exports approved, three were for training weapons, not suitable for use in combat.
Nicaragua calls for an end to arms sales
Nicaraguan lawyers have asked the ICJ to order Germany to stop selling arms to Israel and to resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
They argued that Berlin violated the 1948 Genocide Convention and international law by supplying supplies to Israel knowing there was a risk of genocide.
After Tuesday's hearing, Nicaraguan Ambassador Carlos Arguello told reporters that the preliminary case does not depend on the amount of German military aid, but simply on its presence. .
The ICJ's ruling on the emergency measures requested by Nicaragua is expected in the coming weeks. A final ruling on the merits of the case is expected to take years, and the court has no power to enforce the decision.
In January, following a complaint from South Africa, the ICJ ruled that Israel had plausibly violated some rights guaranteed under the Genocide Convention and ordered it to stop potentially genocidal acts. I asked for it.
