On March 1, 2024, Nicaragua initiated proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging Germany violated international law by funding Israel and halting aid to the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA). 

In its official application, Nicaragua accuses Germany of failing to fulfill its obligation under the Geneva Conventions to prevent "serious violations of peremptory norms of international law" in Gaza. Nicaragua also alleges that Germany not only failed to prevent genocide from being committed against the Palestinian people but "contributed to the commission of genocide" through its political, financial, and military support to Israel in its continued military occupation of Palestine. 

In support of their argument, Nicaragua noted that Germany ceased financial assistance to UNRWA, which provides essential aid for Palestinian civilians. Germany was one of the several countries, including the United States and Canada, that suspended their funding after allegations that 12 UNRWA staff members were part of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.  

The application urges the ICJ to implement emergency measures mandating Germany to halt its military assistance to Israel and reverse its decision to cease funding UNRWA, given Germany's "participation in the ongoing plausible genocide and serious breaches of international humanitarian law" in the Gaza Strip. 

The Nicaraguan case follows the earlier case filed by South Africa in December, which accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. In January, the ICJ instructed Israel to "take all measures within its power" to prevent breaches of the Genocide Convention and subsequently ordered the implementation of a set of provisional measures aimed at preventing the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. 

While a specific date for the hearing has yet to be announced, it is customary for the ICJ to expedite proceedings concerning requests for emergency measures, often initiating them within weeks.