According to a statement by Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen, the Dutch government will appeal the ban on the export of F-35 parts to Israel. An appeal to the country's Supreme Court will be filed, but until a final decision is made, deliveries to Israel will be suspended. This was reported by UNN with reference to Algemeen Dagblad.
Details
The Cabinet of Ministers of the Netherlands is "disappointed" by the decision of the Hague court to ban the export of spare parts for the F-35 fighter jet from the Woensdrecht air base to Israel. This was stated in particular by Minister of Foreign Trade Jeffrey van Leeuwen. According to the official, the court did not sufficiently take into account the fact that the state should formulate its foreign policy. As indicated, the government has now filed a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court, which is to review the previous decision.
Meanwhile, the government will try to convince allies and partners "of the Netherlands' continued reliability in the F-35 project." Van Leeuwen fears that as a result of the export ban, the country will lose the logistics center for the F-35 in Vensdrecht in Brabant, so the minister promised to "consult with partners to prevent this from happening.
Ізраїльські удари по Рафаху вбили понад 100 осіб, лікарні переповнені пораненими13.02.24, 06:02
Context
The lawsuit was filed in The Hague by the non-governmental organizations Oxfam Novib, Pax and The Rights Form, which demanded an export ban because Israeli F-35s would contribute to (possible) genocide and serious and widespread violations of the laws of war in the Gaza Strip. The court had previously dismissed the lawsuit. On Monday, the court ruled that there is indeed a "clear risk" that Israel is violating humanitarian law in Gaza.
The Court ruledthat the Dutch government had not sufficiently considered the consequences of the attacks on the population of Gaza. There is a high risk that the use of F-35 aircraft in the Gaza Strip will violate international martial law. "Israel's attacks have claimed a disproportionate number of victims, including thousands of children," the court wrote.
The judges also refer to EU export rules. For example, they stipulate that a license to export military goods should be denied if there is a clear risk that they will commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Війна Ізраїлю та ХАМАС: переговори про припинення вогню продовжили на 3 дні14.02.24, 09:39