UK High Court dismisses Al-Haq challenge to government's exemption of F-35 parts from Israel export-licence suspension
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What happened
In September 2024 the UK government suspended about 30 export licences to Israel for items that might be used in military operations in Gaza, but exempted components for F-35 aircraft supplied through a multinational pool. On 30 June 2025 the High Court in London (Males LJ and Steyn J) rejected all 13 grounds of a challenge by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq against the Department for Business and Trade. The court accepted that the parts could be used in breach of international humanitarian law but held that weighing that risk against national security was a matter for the executive rather than the courts. The government had argued that withdrawing from the F-35 programme would have a serious and immediate effect on national security. Press reports say the Court of Appeal refused Al-Haq permission to appeal on 12 November 2025.
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- International Bar Association
The court rejected all 13 grounds
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