The Dutch Supreme Court has been advised by its attorney general that the ban on the export of spare parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel be upheld.
This comes after the Hague Court of Appeal ordered the government in February to block those exports citing “a clear risk” that the parts could be used “in serious violations of international humanitarian law.” Following the ruling, the government sought advice from the Supreme Court.
🔴 BREAKING:
The Supreme Court of the Netherlands was advised on Friday by its advocate general to uphold a ruling saying the Dutch state must put an end to the export to Israel of parts for F-35 fighter jets. pic.twitter.com/pGqt72u4Su
— PAX for peace (@PAXforpeace) November 29, 2024
“According to the advocate general, the Court of Appeal was justified in finding that there is a clear risk that Israel’s F-35 fighter jets are being used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip,” the court’s adviser said.
“Under various international regulations to which the Netherlands is a party, exports of military goods must be banned if such a clear risk exists,” the adviser added.
The appeals court ruling followed 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 Gaza.
‘Take Responsibility’
The F-35 parts, produced by the US, are stored at a warehouse in the Netherlands, and 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, one of the three organizations to file the case against the state, called on the Dutch government on Friday “to take responsibility now and stop arming Israel.”
Advocaat-generaal adviseert Hoge Raad om exportverbod F-35 onderdelen te handhaven. Samen met @PAXvoorvrede en @TheRightsForum roepen we de Nederlandse regering op om nú zelf verantwoordelijkheid te nemen en te stoppen met het bewapenen van Israël. https://t.co/G26mDVWj2R
— Oxfam Novib (@oxfamnovib) November 29, 2024
The Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision soon.
Another Lawsuit
A coalition of Palestinian and Dutch NGOs have also filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government, accusing it of failing to meet its international obligations regarding Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.
NGOs Sue Dutch Government – Call for Suspension of Arms and Cutting Ties
In a statement, Al-Haq, one of the organizations involved said it “sued the the Netherlands for failing to meet its international legal obligations and has called on the court to enforce corrective measures,” including a ban on the transit of weapons to Israel as well as a severance of all relations with the state.
“In court, it was clear that the Dutch State deems its ongoing dialogue with Israeli counterparts sufficient to prevent genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Al-Haq said following the first hearing at The Hague District Court on Friday.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
An Israeli drone chases journalists and opens fire at them in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/2MDBhrb4Mi
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 29, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 44,330 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 104,933 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
Millions Displaced
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over 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.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Be the first to comment