LONDON (AP) The U.K. government is preparing to defend its ongoing supply of parts for F-35 fighter jets at a High Court hearing starting Tuesday. This legal challenge, initiated by human rights organizations, contends that the government's actions violate both domestic and international laws, implicating the U.K. in the humanitarian crises faced by Palestinians amid the conflict in Gaza.
In September, the U.K. government announced the suspension of approximately 30 out of 350 existing export licenses for military equipment associated with the conflict in Gaza, citing a "clear risk" that these items could contribute to serious violations of international humanitarian law. This suspension specifically affected components intended for helicopters and drones. However, the government made an exception for certain licenses related to components of F-35 fighter jets, which have been reportedly linked to Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Human rights groups argue that this exemption is a "deliberate loophole," particularly given the U.K. government's own evaluation of Israel's compliance with international humanitarian standards. Organizations like the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq and the U.K.-based Global Legal Action Network, which have brought forth the legal challenge, assert that components for these fighter jets are indirectly provided to Israel through a global spare parts supply chain.
U.K. officials have countered that halting the export of F-35 fighter jet components could adversely affect international peace and security. In terms of arms sales, British firms supply only a fraction of the total military equipment that reaches Israel when compared to other major suppliers like the United States and Germany. The Campaign Against Arms Trade reports that the U.K. is responsible for approximately 15% of the components used in the F-35 stealth combat aircraft, which includes significant elements such as its laser targeting system.
Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for the Global Legal Action Network, emphasized the dire implications of the U.K.'s continued support for Israel. "British-made F-35s are dropping multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza, which the U.N. secretary-general has described as a ‘killing field,’” she stated. She criticized the U.K. government for diverging from its own legal standards to continue arms sales to Israel, describing this decision as having "continuing and catastrophic effects."
The hearing is set to last four days, with a decision anticipated at a later time. The backdrop of this legal challenge is the intensifying conflict in Gaza, which saw a resurgence of bombardments by Israel in March, breaking a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. According to reports from Gaza's health ministry, more than 52,800 individuals, including over half women and children, have been killed in the region. The health ministry's figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, while Israel claims to have killed thousands of militants, providing no evidence to substantiate this claim.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, following an attack by Hamas militants that resulted in 1,200 fatalities and the kidnapping of 251 hostages in southern Israel. Furthermore, in November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas's military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity related to the hostilities in Gaza.
