Although no verdict has yet been reached, Nicaragua’s lawsuit has already had an effect: over the course of the year, the number of weapons delivered by Germany to Israel dropped sharply, without any official explanation. Some commentators suggested that this was connected to the ICJ proceedings and that the then-ruling coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals — despite its staunchly pro-Israel stance — appeared to fear potential legal consequences.

In August 2025, the newly elected conservative-led government, equally unwavering in its pro-Israel stance, announced that it would no longer deliver weapons to Israel “that could be used in Gaza.” It soon became clear, however, that this merely meant no new export licenses would be granted, while previously approved arms shipments remained unaffected. For example, Israel’s navy, despite its rôle in the illegal blockade of Gaza, continued to receive warships and submarines from Germany. Yet here too, alongside Palestinian resistance, the increasingly visible Israeli crimes in Gaza, and mass protests on German streets, Nicaragua’s pressure was also being felt.

New revelations

In response to the lawsuit, Germany told the ICJ in April 2024 that in 2023 it had not delivered any weapons of war to Israel, but only “medical supplies and helmets” from Bundeswehr stocks. However, documents from the Ministry of Defense now cast doubt on the completeness of that statement. This was reported in a joint investigation by the U.S.-based outlet Drop Site News and Germany’s liberal Stern magazine.

According to the report, in a statement submitted to a court at the end of January 2025, the German Ministry of Defense admitted that its declaration regarding Bundeswehr deliveries to the IDF had been coordinated with Israel. The ministry argued before the court that it could not disclose information on so-called “state-to-state transfers” for reasons of “contractually agreed confidentiality,” as doing so could severely damage mutual trust between Germany and Israel. In another communication, the ministry also acknowledged that “detailed information” had “not been disclosed in the proceedings before the ICJ.”

Such alleged false statements by German officials before the world’s highest court are unlikely to go down well with its judges. The case not only undermines Germany’s credibility but also suggests that those responsible know what they have done — and that they are indeed afraid of being held accountable.

(Emphasis original.)