Human rights groups and NGOs are taking the UK government to court on Tuesday, accusing it of violating international law by supplying key components for fighter jets to Israel amidst the ongoing war in Gaza.
The case, supported by organisations such as Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and others, is being led by the Palestinian rights group Al-Haq. It aims to halt the UK’s export of British-made parts used in Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.
Israel has deployed these American warplanes extensively in Gaza and the West Bank, with devastating effects. Amnesty UK’s director stated that the UK government has failed to meet its “legal obligation to prevent genocide” by allowing the export of vital parts to Israel.
According to Oxfam, components made in Britain, such as the refuelling probe, laser targeting system, tyres, rear fuselage, fan propulsion system, and ejector seat, are essential for the aircraft’s operation. Lawyers supporting Al-Haq’s case argued that these planes “could not continue flying without the ongoing supply of UK-made components.”
The four-day hearing at London’s High Court is the latest phase in a prolonged legal battle, though it remains unclear when a decision will be reached.
The case was initiated by the Global Action Legal Network (GLAN) shortly after Israel’s assault on Gaza, which began following Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.
Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide.
In December 2023, as well as in April and May 2024, the UK government decided to continue arms sales to Israel. However, following a review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law, a new Labour government suspended approximately 30 licences for weapons intended for military use by the Israeli army in Gaza in September 2024. Yet, this partial suspension did not cover British-made parts for the advanced F-35 fighter jets.
A UK government spokesperson told AFP that it was “not currently possible to suspend licensing of F-35 components for use by Israel without prejudicing the entire global F-35 programme, due to its strategic role in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security.”
The spokesperson added, “Within a couple of months of coming to office, we suspended relevant licences for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) that could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza.”
‘UK Not a Bystander’
While the government insists it has acted in line with its legal obligations and is committed to upholding domestic and international law, GLAN has criticised the F-35 exemption as a “loophole” allowing components to reach Israel via a global pooling system.
Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for GLAN, said last week that the UK government “expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to continue arming Israel,” while the F-35s have been used to drop “multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza.”
Hamas’s 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, reported that at least 2,749 people have been killed since Israel resumed its military operations in mid-March, bringing the total death toll since the war began to 52,862.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, emphasised, “Under the Genocide Convention, the UK has a clear legal obligation to do everything in its power to prevent genocide.” He added, “Yet the UK government continues to authorise the export of military equipment to Israel – despite all the evidence that genocide is being committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. This is a fundamental failure by the UK to fulfil its obligations.”
Al-Haq’s general director, Shawan Jabarin, stated, “The United Kingdom is not a bystander. It’s complicit, and that complicity must be confronted, exposed, and brought to account.”