AhlulBayt News Agency: Representatives from several human rights groups and pro-Palestine activists have taken the UK government to court over its sale of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.
On Tuesday, the Royal Courts of Justice examined whether UK ministers had violated the law and contributed to the Gaza genocide by supplying Israel with F-35 fighter jet components.
Campaigners gathered outside the court, holding flags and signs demanding that the UK government stop supporting a war that has lasted nearly 19 months. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of almost 53,000 Palestinians and injuries to another 119,000.
Palestinian rights group Al-Haq initiated the legal case with backing from the Global Action Legal Network (GLAN), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam.
Among the protesters were Zarah Sultana, a suspended Labour MP, along with independent MPs Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour Party leader, and Imran Hussain.
Sultana criticized the UK’s involvement, stating, "Every F-35, which is described as the most lethal fighter by its own manufacturer, is dropping 2,000-pound bombs on people in Gaza and decimating whole neighborhoods and universities."
She further emphasized, "With 15 percent of every F-35 made here in the UK, it makes us complicit in the live-streamed genocide unfolding in Gaza."
The legal case has already had an impact. In September, the UK government suspended several arms export licenses before appearing in court. Officials argued that halting arms exports would harm the UK economy while defending continued arms sales to Israel.
Court documents reveal that the UK government has acknowledged that supplying F-35 components for potential use by Israel breaches its own arms export control laws. However, it has also justified the sales by citing their importance to NATO’s security.
UK laws prohibit granting arms export licenses if there is a clear risk that the weapons might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, one of Al-Haq’s lawyers, highlighted the role of F-35 jets in the Gaza war. She pointed to March 18, when Israel violated its ceasefire agreement with Hamas and launched an assault.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the attacks on March 18 resulted in the deaths of 400 Palestinians, including 183 children and 94 women.
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