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The court noted a clear risk that the parts are being used in ‘serious violations of international humanitarian law’.
A Dutch court has ordered the government to halt the delivery of parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The order followed an appeal by human rights organisations against a lower court decision rejecting their argument that supplying the parts contributed to alleged violations of international law by Israel.
Last year, human rights organisations in the Netherlands accused the government of being complicit in the alleged war crimes committed by Israel during its war in Gaza due to its exports of F-35 fighter jet parts.
Amnesty International and Oxfam branches in the Netherlands argued that the shipments were “contributing to wide-scale and serious violations of humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza”.
In December, a court dismissed the case and said the government must be given much freedom when deciding on political and policy issues on arms exports.
Dutch authorities said last year that it was unclear whether they even had the power to intervene in the deliveries, which are part of a US-run operation supplying parts to all F-35 partners.
Government lawyers also argued that Israel could easily procure them elsewhere if they did not supply the parts from the F-35 warehouse in the country.
However, the appeals court on Monday ordered the Dutch government to block all exports of the fighter jet parts to Israel within seven days.
“It is undeniable that there is a clear risk that the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law,” Judge Bas Boele said in reading the ruling, eliciting cheers from several people in the courtroom.
The court added that it was likely that the parts were being used in attacks on Gaza, leading to the high number of civilian casualties.
Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of committing war crimes during its military operation in Gaza. However, the International Court of Justice in January called on Israel to guard against any activities in the enclave that could constitute genocide.
The Ministry of Health in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Monday said at least 28,340 people have been killed in the besieged territory during the war, including 164 in the past 24 hours. A total of 67,984 people have been wounded since the start of the hostilities on October 7 after Hamas killed about 1,100 people and took 240 or so captive in an attack on Israel.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
