THE HAGUE, Feb 12 (Reuters) – A Dutch court on Monday ordered the government to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used to violate international law during the war in Gaza.
The appeals court said the state had seven days to comply to the order, which echoed alarm across Europe and elsewhere over the humanitarian impact of the war. Israel denies committing abuses and says it is battling Hamas militants bent on its destruction.
“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, ruling in favour of a lawsuit against the Dutch state over the exports brought by rights groups including the Dutch arm of Oxfam.
The Dutch government said it would appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that it should be up to the state to set foreign policy, not a court.
Dutch trade Minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen said the fighter jets were crucial for Israel’s security and it was too early to say if a ban on exporting parts from his country would have any concrete impact on the overall supplies to Israel.
“We are part of a big consortium of countries that are also working together with Israel. We will talk to partners how to deal with this,” he said.
The Netherlands houses one of several regional warehouses of U.S.-owned F-35 parts, which are distributed to countries that request them, including Israel in at least one shipment since Oct. 7.
Israel’s massive aerial and ground offensive in the densely populated Gaza Strip has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run enclave’s health authorities, and forced most of its 2.3 million people to flee their homes.
Israel denies committing war crimes in its attacks on Gaza, which followed the Hamas cross-border raid on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 240 were taken hostage.
Israeli cabinet minister Benny Gantz said on social media he had met with visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and welcomed the decision to appeal.
Photo Lockheed Martin
