A Netherlands appeals court ordered the Dutch government to cease the exportation of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, citing potential violations of international law as the reason.
A F-35B fighter jet prepares to land on the flight deck of UK Carrier Strike Groups HMS Queen Elizabeth in the Arabian Sea, off Mumbai coast on October 21, 2021.
Three human rights organizations brought the lawsuit against the Netherlands in December, stating that authorities needed to rethink the export license due to the ongoing military actions of Israel on the Gaza Strip.
"It is undeniable that there is a clear risk that the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law," Judge Bas Boele said in reading out the ruling.
The decision comes on the heels of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's trip to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the ongoing struggle between Israel and Hamas. He was expected to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh as well.
What Is Next For The Ruling?
Geoffrey van Leeuwen, minister for foreign trade and development, said the government would appeal the ruling.
"It is up to the state to shape its foreign policy," Geoffrey van Leeuwen, the minister for foreign trade and development said in a statement.
"We are extremely grateful that there is justice and that the court was willing to speak out on justice," lead lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld told reporters after the hearing.
Three humanitarian groups, Oxfam Novib, Pax Nederland and The Rights Forum filed the lawsuit last year, arguing that the continued transfer of aircraft parts for fighter jets makes the Netherlands complicit in possible war crimes committed against civilians in the fight against Hamas.
Last month a lower court sided with the government in ruling that the Dutch government could continue sending U.S.-owned parts to Israel.
The Netherlands is home to one of three F-35 European regional warehouses.
The United Kingdom, as well as others, are considering restricting weapons sales to Israel as human rights groups in the UK brought a similar lawsuit against the British government in an attempt to block weapons exports to Israel.
Democrats in the United States Senate are pushing a bill that stipulates that President Joe Biden needs congressional approval for arms sales to Israel.
