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Dutch court orders halt to export of F-35 jet parts to Israel

  • The order came amid concerns that the jet parts were being used in violations of international law during Israel’s Gaza offensive
  • The appeal court also said it was likely that the F-35s were being used in attacks on Gaza, leading to unacceptable civilian casualties

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People carry Palestinian flags as they protest prior to the verdict in an appeal by human rights organisations for the Netherlands to stop delivering parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel. Photo: EPA-EFE
A Dutch appeal court on Monday ordered the government to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used in violations of international law during Israel’s Gaza offensive.
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“It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law,” the court said.

It said the state had to comply with the order within seven days, and dismissed a request by government lawyers to suspend the order during an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The case against the Dutch government was brought by several human rights groups, including the Dutch affiliate of Oxfam, last December.

A Lockheed Martin F-35 fighting jet at the ILA Berlin Air Show on June 22, 2022. The Netherlands must stop delivering parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in the Gaza Strip, after a Dutch court upheld an appeal by human rights organisations. Photo: AFP
A Lockheed Martin F-35 fighting jet at the ILA Berlin Air Show on June 22, 2022. The Netherlands must stop delivering parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in the Gaza Strip, after a Dutch court upheld an appeal by human rights organisations. Photo: AFP

Israel’s massive aerial and ground offensive in the densely populated Gaza Strip has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run enclave’s health authorities, and displaced most of its 2.3 million people from their homes.

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