News – World: The UK High Court has dismissed a legal challenge that sought the immediate halt of British arms exports to Israel. 

 The case was brought by Palestinian human rights group Al Haq and the UK-based Global Legal Action Network (Glan) against the UK Department for Business and Trade. The organizations say they will appeal against Monday’s ruling. 

The two groups filed the challenge in December, seeking a judicial review of the government’s export licensing process for the sale of British weapons to Israel.

The Israeli regime has been waging the military campaign since October 7, 2023, in response to al-Aqsa Storm, a surprise operation staged by Gaza's resistance groups against the occupied territories. It has simultaneously been employing an all-out siege against the coastal sliver, preventing the flow of water, food, electricity, and medical supplies into the territory.

So far, the war has killed more than 29,300 people, mostly women and children, and injured about 70,000 others.

The British government has licensed at least £472m worth of military exports to Israel since May 2015 with UK companies providing about 15 percent of the components of the F35 stealth combat aircraft which Israel has used to bomb Gaza, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade.

Under its arms exporting criteria, the British government is obligated to suspend licenses for arms exports if it determines that there is a clear risk that British weapons might be used in violation of international law.

The groups argued that there is substantial evidence that this moment has long passed. 

The Department for Business and Trade has said it keeps arms export licenses under "careful and continual review" and that it can respond quickly to changing international circumstances.

The High Court ruled to dismiss the case, saying that there was a "high hurdle" to establish that the department had been irrational in its decision-making, and there was "no realistic prospect" the hurdle would be surmounted in the challenge.

Source: Agencies