A Dutch court ruled on Monday, after considering a request submitted by human rights organizations, that the Netherlands must stop delivering spare parts for the F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The Court of Appeal in The Hague indicated the possibility of using these pieces in acts that violate international law by striking civilians in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

“Israel does not adequately take into account the consequences for the civilian population when carrying out its attacks,” the judge said.

The judge added, “The court finds that there is a clear threat to commit serious violations of the humanitarian law of war in the Gaza Strip with Israeli F-35 fighter planes.”

The Hague announced, “The court orders the state to stop all actual exports and transits of spare parts for F-35 fighter jets to their final destination, Israel, within seven days of notification of this ruling.”

Also, the court considered that maintaining good relations with the United States and Israel, which is involved in this case according to the Dutch state, does not constitute a good justification for continuing to export spare parts.

The case concerns spare parts owned by the United States and stored in the Netherlands, from where they are sent to partner countries, including Israel, under export agreements.

The permit to export these items was granted in 2016 for an indefinite period but, according to the Court of Appeal, the situation has changed radically since then and this cannot be ignored.

The court ruled that “the fact that the permit was granted for an indefinite period does not mean that the state can turn a blind eye to subsequent events.”

Thus, the court annulled a ruling issued by the court of first instance in this case.

The court ruled in December that the decision to hand over these pieces was primarily political and that the judiciary should not interfere in it.

Human rights organizations, led by the Oxfam Novib group, filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government, considering that providing it with spare parts for the F-35 fighter jets contributes to Israel’s supposed violations of international law in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Dutch authorities confirmed in November that it was unclear whether they even had the authority to interfere in the deliveries, which are part of a US-run operation to supply parts to all companies in the F-35 program.

The war broke out on October 7 following an unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on southern Israel, killing more than 1,160 people.
Israel responded with a concentrated bombing campaign followed by a massive ground attack in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 28,340 people, most of them women and children, according to a tally by the Hamas Ministry of Health.