Rights groups have welcomed the ruling by a Dutch Appeals Court ordering the Netherlands to cease the delivery of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.
A Dutch court has ruled that the Netherlands must stop the delivery of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel within seven days.
The verdict came as the court upheld an appeal from human rights organizations who argued that supplying the parts contributed to “violations of international law by Israel” in its military action in the Gaza Strip.
“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 judgment,” the court stated.
Rights groups said “In doing so, the Netherlands is contributing to serious violations of humanitarian law of war in Gaza.”
The F-35 parts, produced by the US, are stored at a warehouse in the Netherlands. The court reportedly dismissed the Dutch government’s argument that it did not have to do a new check on the permit for the exports.
Oxfam Novib is one of the rights groups involved in the case. Its director, Michiel Servaes, welcomed the “positive ruling” by the court.
“This is an important step to force the Dutch government to adhere to international law, which the Netherlands has strongly advocated in the past,” Servaes said.
“Now that Israel has just launched an attack last weekend against the city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population is in shelter, it is very important that the Netherlands takes immediate steps.”
Call to UN: Stop Fueling Gaza Crisis, Halt Weapons Transfer – Aid Agencies
He also said it was “a pity” that this legal action was necessary “and it is unfortunate that it took four months to come to this conclusion.”
“We hope that this verdict can strengthen international law, also in other countries. So that the civilians in Gaza are also protected by international law,” said Servaes.
The Dutch government, however, has reportedly said it would appeal the order at the Supreme Court.
More Than 28,000 Killed
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 28,340 Palestinians have been killed, and 67,984 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 8,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all of the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
(PC, AA)
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