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WORLD NEWS Monday 8 april 2024
Top U.N. court will hold hearings in a case accusing Germany of

facilitating Israel’s Gaza conflict

By MIKE CORDER or shipping weapons to Is- rights experts of systematic
Associated Press rael. The United States and human rights abuses “tan-
THE HAGUE, Netherlands Germany opposed the res- tamount to crimes against
(AP) — Preliminary hearings olution. humanity.” The govern-
open Monday at the United Also, hundreds of British ju- ment of President Daniel
Nations’ top court in a case rists, including three retired Ortega fiercely rejected
that seeks an end to Ger- Supreme Court judges, the allegations.
man military and other aid have called on their gov- In January, the ICJ imposed
to Israel, based on claims ernment to suspend arms provisional measures order-
that Berlin is “facilitating” sales to Israel after three ing Israel to do all it can to
acts of genocide and U.K. citizens were among prevent death, destruction
breaches of international seven aid workers from the and acts of genocide in
law in the Israel-Hamas war charity World Central Kitch- Gaza. The orders came in
in Gaza. en killed in Israeli strikes. Is- a case filed by South Africa
Israel strongly denies its mili- rael said the attack on the accusing Israel of breach-
tary campaign amounts to aid workers was a mistake ing the Genocide Conven-
breaches of the Genocide Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as caused by “misidentifica- tion.
Convention. seen from southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. tion.” The court last week ordered
While the case brought Associated Press Germany has for decades Israel to take measures to
by Nicaragua centers on been a staunch supporter improve the humanitarian
Germany, it indirectly takes “Germany has breached world court comes amid of Israel. Days after the Oct. situation in Gaza, including
aim at Israel’s military cam- neither the genocide con- growing calls for allies to 7 attack by Hamas, Chan- opening more land cross-
paign in Gaza following vention nor international stop supplying arms to Israel cellor Olaf Scholz explained ings to allow food, water,
the deadly Oct. 7 attacks humanitarian law, and we as its six-month campaign why: “Our own history, our fuel and other supplies into
when Hamas-led militants will set this out in detail be- continues to lay waste to responsibility arising from the war-ravaged enclave.
stormed into southern Is- fore the International Court Gaza. the Holocaust, makes it On Friday, Israel said it’s
rael, killing some 1,200 of Justice.” The offensive has displaced a perpetual task for us to taking steps to increase the
people. More than 33,000 Nicaragua has asked the the vast majority of Gaza’s stand up for the security of flow of humanitarian aid
Palestinians have been court to hand down pre- population. Food is scarce, the state of Israel,” he told into the Gaza Strip, includ-
killed in Gaza, according liminary orders known as the U.N. says famine is ap- lawmakers. ing reopening a key bor-
to the territory’s Health Min- provisional measures, in- proaching and few Pales- Berlin, however, has gradu- der crossing into northern
istry. Its toll doesn’t differ- cluding that Germany “im- tinians have been able to ally shifted its tone as civil- Gaza.
entiate between civilians mediately suspend its aid leave the besieged terri- ian casualties in Gaza have Nicaragua argues that
and combatants, but it has to Israel, in particular its mili- tory. soared, becoming increas- by giving Israel political,
said women and children tary assistance including “The case next week in ingly critical of the humani- financial and military sup-
make up the majority of the military equipment in so far The Hague will likely fur- tarian situation in Gaza port and by defunding the
dead. as this aid may be used in ther galvanize opposition and spoken out against a United Nations aid agency
“We are calm and we will the violation of the Geno- to any support for Israel,” ground offensive in Rafah. for Palestinians, UNRWA,
set out our legal position cide Convention” and in- said Mary Ellen O’Connell, Nicaragua’s government, “Germany is facilitating
in court,” German Foreign ternational law. a professor of law and in- which has historical links the commission of geno-
Ministry spokesperson Se- The court will likely take ternational peace studies with Palestinian organiza- cide and, in any case has
bastian Fischer said ahead weeks to deliver its prelimi- at the University of Notre tions dating back to their failed in its obligation to
of the hearings. nary decision and Nicara- Dame. support for the 1979 Sand- do everything possible to
“We reject Nicaragua’s gua’s case will probably On Friday, the U.N.’s top inista revolution, was itself prevent the commission of
accusations,” Fischer told drag on for years. human rights body called accused earlier this year genocide.”q
reporters in Berlin on Friday. Monday’s hearing at the on countries to stop selling by U.N.-backed human

China says it patrolled the South China Sea in an apparent response

to U.S. naval drills with allies

BEIJING (AP) — China’s mili- China has long-simmer- it had organized patrols
tary said Sunday that it had ing territorial disputes with and that “all military activi-
conducted air and sea pa- a number of Southeast ties that disrupt the South
trols and that all activities Asian nations in the South China Sea and create hot-
that “disrupt the South Chi- China Sea, a major ship- spots are under control.”
na Sea” are under control, ping route. Skirmishes with The statement did not men-
an apparent response to the Philippines in particular tion the United States or the
naval exercises by the U.S. have flared up since last joint exercises.
and its allies. year. Likewise, the U.S. and its al-
The defense chiefs of the The U.S. has conducted lies did not mention China
United States, Japan, Aus- joint patrols with the Philip- in their statement, but the
tralia and the Philippines pines in a show of support. four countries reaffirmed
announced Saturday that China says the U.S. is inflam- their stance that a 2016 in-
they would hold joint exer- ing tensions by meddling in ternational arbitration rul-
cises in the sea to safeguard the disputes. A Filipino port worker looks as the Japanese Ship Akebono (DD- ing — which invalidated
108), a Murasame-class destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-
the rule of law and uphold A brief statement from the Defense Force, prepares to dock for a goodwill visit at Manila’s China’s expansive claims in
the right to sail through and Chinese military’s Southern south harbor, Philippines on Sept. 27, 2018. the South China Sea — was
fly over the waters. Theater Command said Associated Press final and legally binding.q