A UK court has dismissed a legal bid by a Palestinian rights organization to block the British government from exporting components used in Israeli F-35 fighter jets. The decision came despite
concerns over Israel’s use of the aircraft in its military operations in Gaza, where tens of thousands—mainly civilians—have been killed, according to United Nations-verified figures.
The High Court in London ruled against the challenge on Monday, which was brought by Al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights group. Al-Haq argued that the UK’s decision to continue supplying parts for F-35 jets, despite suspending other arms licenses to Israel, was unlawful and failed to properly consider international humanitarian law. The legal action had the backing of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and others.
Judges Stephen Males and Karen Steyn dismissed all claims, stating the issue fell within the remit of the UK executive, not the judiciary. “This case is essentially asking the court to direct the UK to withdraw from a specific multilateral defense collaboration,” the judges noted, emphasizing that such decisions are for elected officials, not the courts.
Following the decision, Al-Haq’s director Shawan Jabarin said the organization would continue to push for accountability “in the UK and beyond.”
In response, a UK government spokesperson welcomed the ruling, describing Britain’s arms control framework as “one of the most robust export control regimes in the world.”
Military sales spike
The court decision follows a sharp rise in UK military exports to Israel. Despite the Labour government’s announcement in September 2024 that it would suspend around 30 of 350 arms licenses due to concerns over international law violations, components for the F-35 program were excluded.
British-made F-35 parts include refueling systems, laser targeting units, tires, and ejector seats. The UK’s participation in the program is part of a multinational defense initiative that also supports F-35 jets for other countries.
Defense Secretary John Healey defended the exemption, warning that suspending UK contributions could disrupt the entire F-35 program and threaten international security.
Nevertheless, critics have highlighted what they call a “shocking increase” in UK military exports to Israel. The Campaign Against Arms Trade revealed that between October and December 2024, the UK approved £127.6 million ($170 million) in single-use arms export licenses—more than the total issued from 2020 through 2023.
Most of the approved exports during that period were for military radar systems, software, and targeting equipment.
Context of the conflict
The escalation in Gaza followed an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,219 people in Israel, most of them civilians. Israel's ongoing military response has since killed at least 56,500 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Both Israel and Hamas have been accused of committing war crimes during the conflict, as humanitarian agencies continue to raise alarms over the growing civilian toll. Photo by U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes, Wikimedia commons.
