A Dutch court this Monday ordered the government to stop deliveries within seven days Israel of spare parts for F-35 fighter jets, according to a ruling in response to an NGO lawsuit. The non-governmental organization accused the Dutch state of “complicity in violations of the laws of war.” Gaza Strip. The appeal court supported the complaint filed by the NGO The Netherlands is partly responsible for the “collective punishment of the civilian population” in Gazaalthough in mid-December another Dutch court did not consider that this country was obliged to suspend deliveries.
Israel led and rallied last October an order in the European regional warehouse for the F-35. These are American parts for the fighter jet that are stored in a logistics center at the Woensdrecht air base. From there, spare parts go to all European countries that use the F-35, as well as to Israel. Since the center is on Dutch soil, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must grant permission to export the pieces. Deliveries are made under general license to countries participating in the F-35 partner program.
The three organizations called for an export ban because Israeli F-35s would contribute to possible genocide and serious violations of international law in the Gaza Strip, their version says. “Israel’s attacks have caused a disproportionate number of civilian casualties, including thousands of children. (…) The Netherlands must ban the export of military goods when there is a clear risk of serious violations of the humanitarian laws of war,” he added.
Israel uses the F-35 in its military operation in the Gaza Strip. The first time the Hebrew Air Force used an Israeli F-35 in a combat scenario was in May 2018, when its pilots carried out a strike against Iranian missile launch pads in Syria. In response to the Iranian challenge and with the aim of maintaining military superiority in the region, Israel deployed its first F-35s in 2016.
The Dutch NGOs Oxfam Novib, PAX and The Rights Forum, supported by other groups and more than a thousand Dutch people in a crowdfunding campaign, have filed a lawsuit against the Dutch state. A court found this in December The Netherlands was not obliged to suspend deliveries, But the NGOs appealed. The Court of Appeal today backed his complaint that finds the Netherlands partly responsible for the “collective punishment of the civilian population” in Gaza.
Israel It is the only country in the world that managed to “customize” the famous American fighter from Lockheed Martin. by integrating a model intended for the flight test center at Tel Nof Air Base, equipped with an open software architecture that no other country in the world has. This Israeli version of the fighter is called the F-35I Adir (Poseidon).
Rutte, in Israel
Today’s ruling comes with the incumbent Dutch Prime Minister. Mark Rutte, on business trips to Israel and Palestine. “Three things are now the top priority: much more humanitarian aid is needed in Gaza; Hamas must immediately release the more than 100 hostages; and Israeli operations must quickly and significantly reduce their intensity. A large-scale military operation in Rafah would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences“Rutte said today.
In January, a group of officials in Rutte’s office accused him of “covering up negative information” and maintaining “firm control” over communications about Israel’s war in Gaza in order to drum up American support for his candidacy for NATO secretary general to protect”. a letter published in the NRC newspaper and sent anonymously to the Court of Appeals in support of the appeal in the F-35 case.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) In January it issued precautionary measures calling on Israel to take “immediate and effective” steps to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza, although it did not call for a “ceasefire” as South Africa had called for.
With information from Efe