Labour government says F-35 sales more important than dead Palestinian children

Today, 13 May, a court case against the British government’s complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza has begun. The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq are holding Keir Starmer’s regime to account for continuing to supply parts for F-35 fighter jets despite its international obligations to prevent war crimes. However, as the Guardian reported the Labour-led government will be defending itself by essentially claiming F-35 sales are more important than war crimes. 

This comes as UN agencies and humanitarian organisations have confirmed a “famine is imminent in Gaza”, with 477,000 people at risk of “catastrophic” hunger in the coming months. A UN official, meanwhile, has insisted that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war.

Our case with @alhaq_org has commenced.

The UK gov could have chosen not have to fight this in Court. It could comply with law and end the supply of weaponry to Israel today.

This morning we learned that Gaza is entering a full-blown famine because of Israel's sadistic siege. pic.twitter.com/DJ7BGsg7Ro

— Gearóid Ó Cuinn (@Gocuinn) May 13, 2025

📣TODAY we’re at the High Court with @GLAN_LAW challenging the UK govt’s decision to keep supplying F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, despite their own assessment that #Israel isn't complying with international humanitarian law #GazaGenocide #EndUKComplicity #StopArmingIsrael pic.twitter.com/Ie3VxnDKaG

— Al-Haq الحق (@alhaq_org) May 13, 2025

The lucrative business of F-35 fighter jets, which has caused so much death and destruction in Gaza, marked a highly controversial exemption from Labour’s licence suspensions in 2024. And last week, a new report showed Israel has received numerous shipments of aircraft parts in recent months. Former Foreign Office adviser Mark Smith had previously revealed efforts under Tory and Labour governments “to suppress inconvenient truths” about UK allies. He spoke about official use of bullying, manipulation, and stonewalling to prolong “complicity with war crimes“.

The High Court will now “review the decision-making process of the UK government, and rule whether they have acted unlawfully by continuing to export some arms to Israel”. The judgement will probably take a few months to arrive.

“The UK is complicit in the killing of children”. Stop arms sales to Israel now.

Activists have taken to London to call for an end to arms sales to Israel:

🚨Breaking — As the UK government tries to defend its decision to supply F-35 parts to Israel in court, activists have dropped an 80-foot banner over Waterloo bridge demanding an end to arms sales to Israel. pic.twitter.com/Qi5LZniHc4

— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) May 13, 2025

Independent MPs have been on the streets too:

“This country will not be silent when its government continues to facilitate genocide.”
As UK Government lawyers argue for F-35 exports in court, @zarahsultana reminds them that nothing is more important than stopping genocide.#GazaGenocide #EndUKComplicity #StopArmingIsrael pic.twitter.com/yZ73j2wyy9

— ICJP (🦋: icjpalestine.com) (@ICJPalestine) May 13, 2025

Today, the UK government is being taken to court over arms sales to Israel.

We know that arming Israel is morally indefensible. @GLAN_LAW and @alhaq_org have my full support in proving it is legally indefensible too.

End all arms sales to Israel, now. pic.twitter.com/0JBMeDo0CB

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 13, 2025

Charities, meanwhile, have supported this call:

This week, the UK government will appear in court, for continuing to licence arms to Israel. Over 240,000 of you have signed our petition with Global Justice Now. Add your name, there’s still time #StopArmingIsrael https://t.co/H8mVAAC3m2 pic.twitter.com/BZ5r3yaPQK

— Oxfam (@oxfamgb) May 13, 2025

This week, the UK government has to appear in the High Court, for continuing to licence arms to Israel, despite admitting last November that Israel is not committed to observing international law. Over 240,000 of you have signed our petition with Global Justice Network. If you… pic.twitter.com/CoL6wO4ua6

— Oxfam (@oxfamgb) May 13, 2025

Save the Children, for example, stressed that:

The UK is complicit in the killing of children in Gaza

It added:

The UK has enabled attacks on civilians by continuing to approve the supply of British-made parts for F-35 fighter jets – despite acknowledging last year the clear risk that they are being used to commit violations of international law.

While the Government defends their continued supply of lethal arms to Israel in court, children are being killed by bombs and bullets at an unprecedented rate…

Keir Starmer, David Lammy: history is watching you. Is this what you want your legacy to be? …

The UK Government must not be an ally to Israel’s atrocities.

Today the UK Government has been taken to court over it's ongoing exports of F-35 components to Israel.

The UK has enabled attacks on civilians by continuing to approve the supply of British-made parts for F-35 fighter jets – despite acknowledging last year the clear risk that… pic.twitter.com/loLAm1ehvl

— Save the Children UK (@savechildrenuk) May 13, 2025

Israel committing genocide, and using famine as a weapon

Philippe Lazzarini is commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. And speaking to the BBC, he left it in no doubt that Israel is weaponising the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, which is a war crime:

Jeremy Bowen: "Do you think Israel is using food aid, medical aid, humanitarian aid, as a weapon of war?"

Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA: "I have absolutely no doubt…"

Bowen: "That's a war crime"

Yes it is. pic.twitter.com/P2sTmXIPAA

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) May 13, 2025

The British government, meanwhile, has consistently offered Israel the political and material support it has needed to commit genocide since at least October 2023:

Ahead of today’s High Court hearing on arms sales led by @GLAN_LAW and @alhaq_org, we have joined both organisations and @visualizingpal and @BritPalCommitt to produce a series of graphics on the UK’s involvement in the Gaza genocide through arms exports and military support. https://t.co/ny8oLILYn8

— ICJP (🦋: icjpalestine.com) (@ICJPalestine) May 13, 2025

This court case will hopefully serve to hold the state to account for its complicity with Israel’s crimes.

Featured image via the Canary