Hamas calls on Germany to withdraw support for Israel at ICJ

Hamas yesterday called on Germany to rescind its decision to enter as a third party on behalf of Tel Aviv before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel.

In a statement, the movement’s leader, Izzat Al-Rishq, said, “We call on the Federal Republic of Germany to reverse this immoral policy, stop all forms of support for Zionist aggression and crime, and adopt the option of rejecting and criminalising the genocidal war to which the Palestinian people are being subjected in the Gaza Strip.”

He stressed that “Germany’s intention to enter as a third party in the case filed by South Africa against the Zionist occupation in the International Court of Justice represents a clear bias in favour of its aggression and the genocidal war, which it has been committing for 100 days, making it a partner in this crime and means it bears moral, humanitarian and legal responsibility for these crimes against civilians, children and women.”

Al-Rishq expressed Hamas’ condemnation of “Germany’s position in support of the war of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement practiced by the Zionist occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip.”

He pointed out that “its open attempt to atone for its historical Nazi crimes cannot be achieved through support and endorsement of the crimes of the neo-Nazi Zionist war criminals against our Palestinian people. It is also a grave sin that will remain a disgrace that haunts Germany with its support and endorsement of the new Holocaust to which our people are exposed.”

On Friday, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement that Israel is defending itself after the attack launched by Hamas on 7 October, according to reports by the Times of Israel newspaper.

He explained that Germany “intends to intervene as a third party in the main hearing” based on an article allowing countries to request clarification regarding the use of a multi-party agreement, allowing Germany to present its argument to the court that Israel did not violate the Genocide Convention.

Read: In siding with Zionist genocidaires, Germany ignores its own history of genocide in Namibia