A Palestinian human rights organization, Al-Haq, has been denied permission to appeal a UK court ruling that permitted components of F-35 fighter jets to be exported indirectly to Israel. Al-Haq, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had previously challenged the UK’s Department for Business and Trade over its decision to exempt F-35 parts from a suspension on arms exports that could potentially be used in the Gaza conflict. The organization argued that these components could contribute to violations of international humanitarian law.
Last month, Al-Haq sought permission from the Court of Appeal to contest a lower court decision that had upheld the government’s exemption. The Court of Appeal refused, stating that the determination of whether national security concerns outweigh potential breaches of international law falls within the government’s remit rather than the judiciary’s.
