A Dutch court told The Netherlands on Monday to stop delivering parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in the Gaza Strip, after upholding an appeal by human rights organizations.
The rights group had argued that supplying the parts contributed to alleged violations of international law by Israel in its war with Hamas.
“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.
“The court orders the State to cease all actual export and transit of F-35 parts with final destination Israel within seven days after service of this judgement,” said the ruling.
The U.S.-owned F-35 parts are stored at a warehouse in the Netherlands and then shipped to several partners, including Israel, via existing export agreements.
“In doing so, the Netherlands is contributing to serious violations of humanitarian law of war in Gaza,” the rights groups argue.
In December, the district court in The Hague had said that supplying the parts was primarily a political decision that judges should not interfere with.
“The considerations that the minister makes are to a large extent of a political and policy nature and judges should leave the minister a large amount of freedom,” the court ruled at the time.
Dutch authorities had said it was not clear whether they even had the power to intervene in the deliveries, part of a U.S.-run operation that supplies parts to all F-35 partners.
Government lawyers also argued that if the Dutch did not supply the parts from the warehouse based in the Netherlands, Israel could easily procure them elsewhere.
The war was triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion of Israel that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
The Palestinian resistance groups also seized about 250 hostages. Israel says around 130 are still in Gaza, though 29 are thought to be dead.
Israel has responded with an indiscriminate offensive on Gaza that the territory’s Health Ministry says has killed at least 28,340 people as of Monday, mostly women and children.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague, which rules on disputes between states, has said Israel must do everything possible to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.
That ruling “strengthens our confidence in a positive ruling in our case.” said PAX Netherlands, one of the rights groups involved in the appeal.
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