Dutch court orders halt to export of F-35 jet parts to Israel
Court banned export of spare parts for F-35 aircraft to Israel (photo: Getty Images)
The Dutch court has ordered the government to block the export of any spare parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel due to concerns that they were and could be used to violate international law during the conflict in the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.
"It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law," according to the court ruling.
The appellate court stated that the state has seven days to comply with this decision. The Dutch government has announced it will appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that foreign policy should be determined by the state, not the 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.
The Netherlands hosts one of several regional warehouses for F-35 parts distributed to various countries, including Israel.
The F-35's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opened a new tab and said in a statement it was evaluating the impact of the Dutch court ruling on its supply chain but added it stood ready to support the U.S. government and allies as needed.
Israel-Hamas war
On October 7, 2023, militants from the radical Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip. At the end of October, the Israel Defense Forces launched a ground military operation in the Gaza Strip, which continues to this day.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the goal of the operation was to destroy the operational and governmental capabilities of Hamas, as well as to free hostages. Recently, Netanyahu announced the readiness of the IDF to begin a ground invasion in Rafah.
Egypt has threatened to suspend a key peace treaty with Israel if the country's army enters this border town.
In turn, the EU and several humanitarian organizations have warned of the catastrophic consequences of the operation in the city of Rafah. U.S. President Joe Biden has asked Netanyahu to protect the civilian population of Rafah and develop a plan for evacuating people.
