Rights groups urge court to halt UK fighter jet supplies to Israel
Supported by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and others, the Palestinian rights association Al-Haq is seeking a court order to stop the government's export of UK-made components for Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.
Israel has used the US warplanes to devastating effect in Gaza and the West Bank.
Outside the High Court in London, around 50 protesters waved Palestinian flags and placards with the words "Stop Arming Israel: Stop the genocide".
Inside the packed courtroom, Al-Haq lawyer Raza Husain said the case was "being heard against the backdrop of human calamity unfolding in Gaza, the extremity of which is difficult to convey in words."
He argued the government's trade department had unlawfully allowed exports of F-35 parts knowing there was a "clear risk" Israel would use them to commit violations of international law in Gaza.
Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide.
The plane's refuelling probe, laser targeting system, tyres, rear fuselage, fan propulsion system and ejector seat are all made in Britain, according to Oxfam, and lawyers for Al-Haq have said the aircraft "could not keep flying without continuous supply of UK-made components."
Britain's defence ministry has previously said suspending F-35 licences would "undermine US confidence in the UK and NATO," while in a written submission a lawyer for the government said its actions were "consistent with the rules of international law."
It is not certain when a decision could be made following the four-day hearing, which marks the latest stage in a long-running legal battle.
'Loophole'
Lawyers for the Global Action Legal Network (GLAN) have said they launched the case soon after Israel's assault on Gaza began, following the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel led by Palestinian militants from Hamas.
The lawyers said the UK government had decided in December 2023 and again in April and May 2024 to continue arms sales to Israel, before suspending licences in September 2024 for weapons assessed as being for military use by the Israeli army in Gaza.
The new Labour government suspended around 30 of 350 export licences following a review of Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law.
But the partial ban did not cover British-made parts for the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets.
A UK government spokesperson told AFP 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".
"Within a couple of months of coming to office, we suspended relevant licences for the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza," they said.
But GLAN described the F-35 exemption as a "loophole" which allowed the components to reach Israel through a global pooling system.
Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for GLAN, told a briefing last week the UK government had "expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel", with F-35s being used to drop "multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza".
The 2023 Hamas-led attack in southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,908 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, whose figures the United Nations deems reliable.
"Under the Genocide Convention, the UK has a clear legal obligation to do everything within its power to prevent genocide," said Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive.
"Yet the UK government continues to authorise the export of military equipment to Israel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion Network
24 minutes ago
- Fashion Network
US-China trade talks on export controls to resume for a second day
Top U.S. and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for rare earths and other goods that have threatened a fresh rupture between the two superpowers. Investors are hoping for an improvement in ties after the relief sparked by a preliminary deal agreed in Geneva last month gave way to fresh doubts after Washington accused Beijing of blocking exports that are critical to sectors including autos, aerospace, semiconductors and defence. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Monday that the U.S. was likely to agree to lift export controls on some semiconductors in return for China speeding up the delivery of rare earths. U.S. President Donald Trump said the talks were going well: "We're doing well with China. China's not easy." Trump's often erratic policymaking on tariffs has roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. The second round of U.S.-China talks, which followed a rare phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, comes at a crucial time for both economies. Customs data published on Monday showed that China's exports to the U.S. plunged 34.5% in May, the sharpest drop since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the impact on U.S. inflation and the jobs market has so far been muted, tariffs have hammered U.S. business and household confidence and the dollar remains under pressure. The two sides, led at the talks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, with the Chinese contingent helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, are meeting at the ornate Lancaster House in the British capital. The talks ran for almost seven hours on Monday and are set to resume after 0900 GMT on Tuesday, with both sides expected to issue updates later in the day. The inclusion of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central rare earths have become. He did not attend the Geneva talks, when the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other. China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, a crucial component in electric vehicle motors, and its decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets upended global supply chains and sparked alarm in boardrooms and factory floors around the world. Kelly Ann Shaw, a former White House trade adviser during Trump's first term and now a trade partner at the Akin Gump law firm in Washington, said she expected China to reaffirm its commitment to lift retaliatory measures, including export restrictions, "plus some concessions on the U.S. side, with respect to export controls measures over the past week or two". But Shaw said she expected the U.S. to only agree to lift some new export curbs, not longstanding ones such as for advanced artificial intelligence chips. In May, the U.S. ordered a halt to shipments of semiconductor design software and chemicals and aviation equipment, revoking export licences that had been previously issued.
Fashion Network
an hour ago
- Fashion Network
US-China trade talks on export controls to resume for a second day
Top U.S. and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for rare earths and other goods that have threatened a fresh rupture between the two superpowers. Investors are hoping for an improvement in ties after the relief sparked by a preliminary deal agreed in Geneva last month gave way to fresh doubts after Washington accused Beijing of blocking exports that are critical to sectors including autos, aerospace, semiconductors and defence. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Monday that the U.S. was likely to agree to lift export controls on some semiconductors in return for China speeding up the delivery of rare earths. U.S. President Donald Trump said the talks were going well: "We're doing well with China. China's not easy." Trump's often erratic policymaking on tariffs has roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. The second round of U.S.-China talks, which followed a rare phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, comes at a crucial time for both economies. Customs data published on Monday showed that China's exports to the U.S. plunged 34.5% in May, the sharpest drop since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the impact on U.S. inflation and the jobs market has so far been muted, tariffs have hammered U.S. business and household confidence and the dollar remains under pressure. The two sides, led at the talks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, with the Chinese contingent helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, are meeting at the ornate Lancaster House in the British capital. The talks ran for almost seven hours on Monday and are set to resume after 0900 GMT on Tuesday, with both sides expected to issue updates later in the day. The inclusion of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central rare earths have become. He did not attend the Geneva talks, when the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other. China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, a crucial component in electric vehicle motors, and its decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets upended global supply chains and sparked alarm in boardrooms and factory floors around the world. Kelly Ann Shaw, a former White House trade adviser during Trump's first term and now a trade partner at the Akin Gump law firm in Washington, said she expected China to reaffirm its commitment to lift retaliatory measures, including export restrictions, "plus some concessions on the U.S. side, with respect to export controls measures over the past week or two". But Shaw said she expected the U.S. to only agree to lift some new export curbs, not longstanding ones such as for advanced artificial intelligence chips. In May, the U.S. ordered a halt to shipments of semiconductor design software and chemicals and aviation equipment, revoking export licences that had been previously issued.
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Two Palestinians killed as Israeli forces storm West Bank city
The military said troops opened fire and "eliminated" two Palestinians who had attempted to steal a soldier's weapon as the "counterterrorism operation" was underway in the old city of Nablus. The Palestinian health ministry said authorities had been informed by Israel of the deaths of Nidal Amira, 40, and Khaled Amira, 35. It did not specify whether the two were related. The Israeli military said one soldier was "moderately injured" and three others lightly in the incident. AFPTV footage showed Israeli soldiers standing in one of the old city's narrow streets, next to two dead bodies. An AFP journalist said dozens of military vehicles entered Nablus's historic centre shortly after midnight (2100 GMT Monday). A curfew had been announced over loudspeakers the day before. At a major square outside the old city, young men and boys gathered on Tuesday to burn tyres and throw stones at the Israeli armoured vehicles. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that during the Israeli raid, at least three people were injured from bullet shrapnel, four from "physical assault", and dozens more from tear gas inhalation. It added that ambulances were blocked from entering the old city, obstructing the work of medical teams. Israel said in a statement that its forces had searched "250 structures" and arrested "six wanted individuals" during Tuesday's operation. The northern West Bank, where Nablus is located, has been the target of a major Israeli offensive since late January. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and its forces regularly carry out raids that authorities say target Palestinian militants. An AFP correspondent in Nablus saw Israeli soldiers searching shops and detaining several people for questioning on Tuesday. The correspondent said Israeli flags were raised over the roofs of buildings taken over by the troops and used as temporary bases. Violence has surged in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The Palestinian Authority says at least 938 Palestinians, including fighters but also many civilians, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers since October 2023. Over the same period, at least 35 Israelis including civilians and soldiers have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids, according to official Israeli figures.
