Across Europe, a growing wave of legal challenges is targeting companies and governments accused of supplying weapons and military equipment to Israel. These legal actions allege the equipment has been used during the conflict in Gaza.
In Spain, three senior executives from ‘Sidenor’, a Basque steel company, are facing scrutiny in Madrid’s National Court. The accusations stem from allegations that the company sold steel to Israeli military industries. This case marks a significant precedent, potentially impacting the European supply chain involved in the manufacturing of military equipment allegedly used in Gaza.
Muzid Khaleeliyeh, spokesperson for the Palestinian Association in Catalonia, stated that the legal action represents ‘a new victory added to a series of legal successes achieved in recent years.’ Khaleeliyeh emphasized the importance of the executives’ court appearance, calling it a ‘significant legal precedent’.
The complaint, filed on behalf of the Palestinian community in Europe, accuses Sidenor of selling steel to a nation allegedly using it ‘in criminal operations targeting children, women, and innocent people in Gaza.’
Khaleeliyeh asserted that ‘popular and institutional pressure in Europe and the world is having a tangible impact on changing the legal trajectory, making the occupation and those who cooperate with it subject to prosecution.’ This is what we are witnessing today in Spain, he added.
UK Court Rejects Appeal
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, a court has rejected an appeal by a Palestinian rights organization challenging a previous ruling. The ruling had affirmed the legality of continuing the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel. This decision was made despite government acknowledgment that the parts could potentially be used in violations of international humanitarian law during the conflict in Gaza.
The Al-Haq Foundation, based in Ramallah, West Bank, had filed an appeal against a decision by the British Department for Business and Trade last year. That decision had exempted F-35 components from a decision to suspend licenses for arms exports to Israel.
