Human rights organizations file lawsuit against Dutch state over export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel
A district court on Monday will hear a case against the Dutch state brought by human rights organizations that the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel makes the Netherlands complicit in war crimes in Gaza, a district court said on Thursday court in The Hague.
The organizations, including the Dutch branches of Amnesty International and Oxfam, say: “The Netherlands is contributing to the widespread and serious violations of humanitarian law committed by Israel in Gaza” by allowing the shipment of spare parts for Israeli fighter planes in the midst of ongoing conflict.
For his part, the Dutch Defense Minister told the Dutch Press Agency that he would not comment on the case before the court proceedings began.
Earlier this month, Dutch newspaper NRC cited government sources as saying the Netherlands had allowed the shipment of spare parts for Israeli F-35 fighters despite warnings from legal advisers that such planes were being used in large-scale bombing staircase in the Gaza Strip. Gaza, which may violate international law.
Until the start of the current truce, Israeli forces continued to shell the Gaza Strip for seven weeks following the October 7 attacks launched by members of the Hamas movement, which Israel says saw 1,200 people killed and detention of 240 prisoners.
Palestinian health authorities say more than 15,000 Gazans have been killed since then.
Several United Nations officials, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, have expressed concern that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza may constitute war crimes, given the high number of civilian casualties.
Israel denies these accusations and says its forces adhere to international law while fighting Palestinian militants who are deployed in densely populated civilian areas.