Last week we were in court with our Palestinian colleagues at Al-Haq for the full hearing of our case against the UK government for its continued export of F-35 warplane parts to Israel. The UK is actively arming Israel and over four days in court, we challenged their complicity in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.

Our claim at its heart, is simple: the Government determined in September 2024 that there is a risk that Israel is breaching International Law, therefore the supply of weapons to them is unlawful, and must end.  

Throughout the hearing, the government’s lawyers exposed structural flaws in accountability in the UK’s arms export control regime. Despite the government consistently maintaining in Parliament that it is for the courts to decide whether Britain is complying with its legal obligations, their lawyers argued the opposite — they say that such matters are not for the judiciary to examine.  

Our team of expert lawyers put thousands of pages of evidence of atrocity crimes before the court, yet the government’s lawyers rejected Al-Haq's assertion that there is at least a serious risk that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. They said that there is "a tenable view that no genocide has occurred or is occurring".  

Together with Al-Haq, we filed over 100 pages of statements by Israeli officials demonstrating an intent to violate international law - the UK government had also publicly condemned “the abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli Government.” Yet the court heard that even though the government accepted "conduct which could, in principle, satisfy the physical component of genocide continues to take place in Gaza" - they believe no intent to commit genocide has been shown by the Israeli government.  

They went further, claiming to have seen “no deliberate targeting of women and children”, and therefore “no serious risk of genocide”. In the 19 months since the challenge was brought, the UK government has been provided with evidence in court of young children being sniped in the head and the heart, of a grandmother being sniped whilst walking with her 5 year old grandson who was carrying a white flag, of tanks crushing civilians, and of Gaza’s entire healthcare system having been methodically dismantled. The government also had in its own evidence a report titled “Research Report: Long-Range Shootings or Shootings of Minors.” This report was withheld from GLAN and Al-Haq, despite a duty to disclose and an explicit request made for its disclosure. The UK government also claimed in court Israel’s targeting policies were as good as the UK’s.    

Internationally accepted arguments relating to breaches of the Genocide Convention, in context of the enormous harms suffered by civilians in Gaza, were even callously dismissed by the government’s lawyers as “touchy feely”. 

The government gave evidence to support what it claims is a rigorous process for decision making on weapons exports. In court they admitted being aware that Israel’s “tempo of killings” was “so overwhelming” that Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was unable to produce daily reporting – and that Israel had stated it had carried out 10,000 strikes on Gaza in the first two months of its assault alone. Yet when assessing an 11-month period, from October 2023 to the start of September 2024, the government examined just 413 incidents and determined only one as a possible breach of international law. That one incident was the one in which foreign aid workers at World Central Kitchen were pursued and killed by drones.  

Our lawyers argued that the government’s methodology is deeply flawed, including wrongly assessing Israel’s conduct of hostilities on an incident-by-incident basis, not assessing overall patterns, such as repeated attacks on hospitals and repeated mass population transfer orders issued by Israel. The government proceeded on the basis that it needed incident-specific evidence from Israel, even if Israel was not willing to provide such evidence. This methodology led to perverse findings where the government would not find even ‘possible breaches’ in the face of catastrophic loss of life and conclusive findings by UN bodies, unless Israel had agreed to give it information about specific strikes.  

We also argue that the government failed to properly consider UN assessments over Israel’s breaches of IHL, and that it failed to factor in Israel’s longstanding historical non-compliance with IHL, which had resulted in previous suspensions of arms to Israel by the UK. 

We now wait for the Court to make its judgment, but in the meantime, we are continuing to pressure the government. GLAN’s lawyers were in Parliament briefing MPs again this week.  

The Government claimed in Parliament that it is a matter for the Courts to determine if the UK is abiding by international law in its decision to create a loophole for F-35 parts being supplied to Israel.

Yesterday in court, they argued that it is not for the Courts to determine.

Their twisted logic aims to create yet another loophole – designed to allow then to avoid accountability and continue the sale of weapons to a State that is unquestionably committing grave violations, and by their own admission, not committed to complying with International Humanitarian Law.

Today is the last day of the hearing.  The government's arguments are weak. We need your support to double down on their flawed logic and end the UK’s complicity.

We need urgent action now.

Yesterday in court, Raza Husein KC, one the Barristers on our legal team, opened our case by telling the court that what is unfolding in Gaza is a 'live-streamed genocide'. He's right - we all know too well that it has become commonplace to open our social media apps and see atrocities unfold. 

British warplane parts are helping to make these atrocities possible. We must not look away. We must demand an end to the UK's complicity. You've helped us get here, and as we are in court this week with our colleagues at Al-Haq, your support is more important than ever. 

The hearing continues, and we'll keep you updated. Will you stand with us?

I’m posting from the steps of court as we head into the first day of the High Court hearing.

With our Palestinian colleagues at Al-Haq, we are demanding an end to the UK’s complicity in the ongoing Gazan genocide.

I never thought we would see such horror in Gaza when we launched our case in 2023 - the entire population is now being deliberately starved and denied lifesaving treatments at the same time as being bombed. It is shocking to see the UK continue to fight to sell weapons to Israel in the face of all we have witnessed over the past 18 months.

As we enter the court, we urgently need your support. Please stand with us as arguments in this case begin.  

-- Gearóid Ó Cuinn 

GLAN Founding Director  

The countdown is on! There is just one week until we see the UK Government in the High Court over continued British arms exports to Israel which are facilitating a genocide. 

We’ve taken this claim with our partners at Al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights organisation, and together we’ll be in court on Tuesday 13 May for a 4-day full hearing of this urgent claim.  

You might have seen reports over the weekend that Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan to expand its military offensive against Hamas, which reportedly includes capturing Gaza and holding the territory. The awful truth is that British-made F-35 war plane parts will likely help make this plan a reality.  

Every day these F-35 fighter jets continue to bring unimaginable terror to Palestinians. Every shipment of these parts, every moment of silence from the UK government is enabling unimaginable horror. The hearing next Tuesday will focus on the continued export of these F-35 parts.  

The UK is legally obligated to do all it can to prevent genocide, not watch as it is carried out; this means we need to act now and stop sending weapons where we know they will be used to commit war crimes and genocide.   

We could not have gotten this far without your support, but until the UK suspends all arms sales to Israel, we still need your help. Now is the time to act. By supporting this crowdfund you send a clear message: stop the complicity; stop arming Israel.  

With only two weeks left until GLAN’s landmark challenge against the UK’s complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, we have officially submitted our skeleton legal arguments and thousands of pages of evidence to the High Court. 

This is it — the critical final stretch. 

In September 2024, the UK government chose to continue supplying F-35 warplane parts - even as evidence of war crimes and devastation mounted. We are making it clear to the court: Israel’s repeated violations of International Humanitarian Law cannot be ignored, and the UK’s support must end. 

Every day, F-35 fighter jets bring unimaginable terror to Palestinians. Every shipment of parts, every moment of silence from the UK government enables that suffering. 

The hearing begins in just two weeks. We are working flat-out with counsel, preparing for a legal showdown that could hold the UK accountable and set a historic precedent.  
 
This is the moment to act. 
We need every voice, every share, every donation to push this case over the line. 

By supporting and sharing this campaign, you are sending a message loud and clear: Stop arming Israel. End the complicity.  

Please give what you can — and share widely. The time is now. 

Late last week, our team of lawyers filed our ‘reply’ to some of the grounds in our case. In the lead up to our full hearing in May, our lawyers and the government are honing the issues that will be argued, and this reply is part of that process.  

Our main argument? The UK must end its complicity in the ongoing genocide. It’s that simple.  

We have also applied to rely on further evidence during the hearing, and we await the court’s decision on this. The evidence details Israel’s reliance on the use of F-35 planes in this genocide and the UK government’s significant contribution to the global F-35 programme - evidence demonstrating the clear link between the UK’s export of F-35 war plane parts and the atrocity crimes against the Palestinian people. 

It’s all hands on deck until 12 May when the hearing is set to start. By supporting this crowdfund, you’re an integral part of the team of people making this possible.  

As news of airstrikes and bombings killing at least 413 Palestinians, including children, breaks, we know that the news of this ongoing genocide can feel overwhelming.  

Israel has repeatedly broken the ceasefire that felt like the light at the end of an incredibly long and dark tunnel.  

The horrible reality is that Israel received a shipment of F-35 planes on Thursday, and it’s highly likely that F-35s were used in last night’s attacks. The UK is continuing to arm Israel through the export of F-35 components. 

Supporting and sharing this crowdfund are urgent and concrete steps you can take to make a difference at a time when the news seems insurmountable.  

Together, we can make a difference and ensure that the UK is held accountable for their role in these ongoing atrocities.