Overview
- The Hague Court of Appeal upheld a lower-court dismissal of a lawsuit by 10 NGOs seeking a blanket stop to weapons exports and trade with Israeli settlements.
- The ruling affirmed the Netherlands’ obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention and noted a “grave risk” in Gaza but found no basis to impose a sweeping ban.
- Judges said foreign policy and export licensing fall within executive discretion, pointing to case-by-case risk assessments and refusals already applied.
- Plaintiffs cited exports including radar systems, parts for F‑16s and warships, surveillance tools, and trained police dogs supplied to Israeli forces.
- The government says most arms exports to Israel are halted except for defensive components such as Iron Dome parts, and the Supreme Court recently ordered a reassessment of a suspended F‑35 parts license.