High Court ruling expected in UK arms to Israel challenge
The British High Court is expected to deliver a verdict on Monday morning in the legal challenge over the UK government’s continued supply of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.
The ruling in the case brought by the UK-based Global Legal Action Network (Glan) and Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq is the most anticipated in the arms control community since the government was taken to court over its arms sales to Saudi Arabia during its bombing campaign in the Yemen war.
The challenge over UK arms exports to Israel was first filed in late October 2023, soon after Israel launched an attack on Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks in Israel earlier in the month.
Under the Tory government, UK arms exports to Israel continued without any apparent change, despite concerns raised as early as November 2023 by the Foreign Office unit assessing Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law.
Last September, the newly elected Labour government suspended around 30 export licenses for UK-made arms that the government assessed could be used in Gaza.