Corte Internacional de Justicia (CIJ) has announced that Nicaraguan authorities have decided not to participate in the lawsuit filed by Sudan against Israel for “genocide” during its offensive on Gaza, which has already resulted in over 50,500 Palestinian deaths.
Nicaragua notified the CIJ of its decision on April 1, but it was only officially confirmed by the organization on Thursday via a statement on its website. The statement also provides an update on the current situation of the case and the provisional measures that have been issued since Sudan’s December 2023 complaint.
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Israel has quickly celebrated the news, with its Foreign Minister Gideon Saar tweeting that it is “better late than never” and urging other countries to follow Nicaragua’s lead and withdraw from the “baseless and scandalous” case initiated by Sudan.
The Nicaraguan government, led by Daniel Ortega, requested in late January 2024 to join the lawsuit against Israel, citing its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.
The CIJ has held several hearings in this case where Sudan argues that “Israel has participated, is participating, and risks continuing genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” claiming these actions are carried out with the “specific intention” of “destroying the Palestinians.”
Israel has dismissed the case as one of the “greatest examples of hypocrisy in history,” stating that during the hearings, reality has been distorted. It also claims Sudanese authorities are allowing Hamas to commit war crimes, crimes against humanity, and sexual crimes.
The conflict in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas members launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory, resulting in nearly 1,200 deaths. The Israeli military responded with a brutal military offensive that has so far claimed the lives of over 50,500 Palestinians and held approximately 240 others hostage.
