UK threatened with court-ordered ban on arms exports to Israel

Two groups challenging the UK government over its continued export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel say they will ask a judge to order a halt to all UK arms exports if the policy is not reversed by 4pm on Friday.

The case, brought by the UK-based Global Legal Action Network (Glan) and human rights group Al-Haq against the business secretary, is scheduled to resume in the High Court on Monday.

When the challenge was launched last December, the groups argued that the UK should ban all arms exports due to a clear risk that Israel might use British-made weapons to violate international humanitarian law in Gaza.

This September, after the newly elected Labour government suspended 30 arms export licences to Israel, the focus of the case shifted to UK-manufactured F-35 components, which can still be exported through third countries, with Israel as the final destination.

Arms control experts and researchers say Israel has relied on F-35s for a high volume of air strikes in Gaza and, more recently, in Lebanon over the past 13 months. UK-made parts make up 15 percent of the jets.

Read more: UK threatened with court-ordered ban on arms exports to Israel