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Palestinian NGO to Ask UK Court to Block F-35 Parts to Israel over Gaza War

Protesters demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of a legal challenge brought by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq over Britain's exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, amid its conflict with Hamas, in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Tobin
Protesters demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of a legal challenge brought by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq over Britain's exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, amid its conflict with Hamas, in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Tobin
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Palestinian NGO to Ask UK Court to Block F-35 Parts to Israel over Gaza War

Protesters demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of a legal challenge brought by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq over Britain's exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, amid its conflict with Hamas, in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Tobin
Protesters demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of a legal challenge brought by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq over Britain's exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, amid its conflict with Hamas, in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Tobin

Britain is allowing parts for F-35 fighter jets to be exported to Israel despite accepting they could be used in breach of international humanitarian law in Gaza, lawyers for a Palestinian rights group told a London court on Monday.

West Bank-based Al-Haq, which documents alleged rights violations by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, is taking legal action against Britain's Department for Business and Trade at London's High Court, Reuters reported.

Israel has been accused of violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza war, with the UN Human Rights Office saying nearly 70% of fatalities it has verified were women and children, a report Israel rejected.

Israel says it takes care to avoid harming civilians and denies committing abuses and war crimes in the conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Al-Haq's case comes after Britain in September suspended 30 of 350 arms export licences, though it exempted the indirect export of F-35 parts, citing the impact on the global F-35 programme.

Al-Haq argues that decision was unlawful as there is a clear risk F-35s could be used in breach of international humanitarian law.

British government lawyers said in documents for Monday's hearing that ministers assessed Israel had committed possible breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) in relation to humanitarian access and the treatment of detainees.

Britain also "accepts that there is clear risk that F-35 components might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of IHL", its lawyer James Eadie said.

Eadie added that Britain had nonetheless decided that F-35 components should still be exported, quoting from advice to defense minister John Healey that suspending F-35 parts "would have a profound impact on international peace and security".

A full hearing of Al-Haq's legal challenge is likely to be heard early in 2025.

The Gaza health ministry says more than 43,800 people have been confirmed killed since the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023.

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Arab World

Iraqi Oil Ministry Says It Began Exporting Fuel Oil Via Syria

A worker performs checks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A worker performs checks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Iraqi Oil Ministry Says It Began Exporting Fuel Oil Via Syria

A worker performs checks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A worker performs checks at Türkiye's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, February 19, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Iraq's oil ministry said on Thursday it began exporting fuel oil via Syria after ‌disruptions ‌to the Strait ‌of ⁠Hormuz caused by the ⁠Iran war.

The oil will be trucked overland ⁠and export ‌operations ‌would gradually increase ‌to ‌boost the Iraqi economy, the ministry added.

Reuters reported ‌in an exclusive on Tuesday ⁠that ⁠the land route, which Iraq has not used for decades, became its best option.

Arab World

Israel Expands Warnings to Hezbollah-linked Money Changers

Lebanese security personnel at the site of an Israeli strike targeting senior military commander Youssef Hashem in the Jnah area on the outskirts of Beirut (Reuters). 
Lebanese security personnel at the site of an Israeli strike targeting senior military commander Youssef Hashem in the Jnah area on the outskirts of Beirut (Reuters). 
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Israel Expands Warnings to Hezbollah-linked Money Changers

Lebanese security personnel at the site of an Israeli strike targeting senior military commander Youssef Hashem in the Jnah area on the outskirts of Beirut (Reuters). 
Lebanese security personnel at the site of an Israeli strike targeting senior military commander Youssef Hashem in the Jnah area on the outskirts of Beirut (Reuters). 

The Israeli army said it has killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Youssef Ismail Hashem, in a naval strike, as it widened its warnings in Lebanon to include individuals it accuses of handling the group’s finances.

The military described Hashem as Hezbollah’s “southern front commander”, adding he had more than 40 years of experience and was one of Hezbollah’s “major pillars”.

A security source told AFP that Hashem, also known as Sayyed al-Sadeq, was responsible for Hezbollah’s military and security file in Iraq and was killed in a strike on the Jnah area of Beirut. Lebanon’s health ministry said the attack killed seven people.

The source noted that Hashem “was in a meeting with other party members inside a tent near several vehicles” at the time of the attack.

A source close to Hezbollah confirmed the killing, describing him as “the most senior official targeted since the start of the war”. Hezbollah also announced the death of one of its members, Mohammad Baqer al-Nabulsi, who was killed in the same strike.

US sanctions

Hashem has been under US sanctions since 2018 for working for or on behalf of Hezbollah, according to the US Treasury.

The Treasury noted that he oversaw Hezbollah’s operational activities in Iraq and was responsible for protecting the group’s interests there.

It added that he managed relations with armed groups in Iraq, including coordinating the deployment of fighters to Syria.

Senior figure

Hashem is the most senior military figure killed since the start of the war, succeeding Ali Karaki, who was assassinated in an Israeli strike that targeted former Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024.

Israel had previously targeted lower-ranking commanders, including Hassan Salameh, head of Hezbollah’s “Nasr Unit”, who was killed on March 10.

According to Israeli media, Hezbollah’s southern front is divided into three sectors — the Nasr, Aziz and Badr units — which operate independently, with Hashem overseeing all three.

Warnings broadened

Israel has expanded its warnings in Lebanon to include “money changers working in the service of Hezbollah”.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that the military had targeted Hezbollah funding sources during the war, including the Al-Qard al-Hassan association and fuel networks.

“Another source that has been targeted is the network of money changers, which constitutes the main and most important financial source for this terrorist organization,” he added.

He named Mohammad Noureddine and Hussein Ibrahim as key money changers working for Hezbollah.

Addressing them directly, he said: “Due to your involvement in financing Hezbollah, the IDF warns you that continuing to fund Hezbollah puts you at risk.”

He also urged Lebanese citizens to avoid “any contact with Hezbollah money changers” and to “stay away from them” for their own safety.

Security zone plans

The intensified strikes come as Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “at the end of the operation, the Israeli army will establish a security zone inside Lebanon along a defensive line against anti-tank missiles”.

He added that Israel would maintain security control over the area up to the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border.

Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa condemned the remarks, saying they “no longer constitute mere threats, but reflect a clear intention to impose a new occupation of Lebanese territory”.

Arab World

US Embassy in Baghdad Warns of Attacks in City over Next 24-48 Hours

A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
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US Embassy in Baghdad Warns of Attacks in City over Next 24-48 Hours

A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)

The US embassy in Baghdad warned Thursday that pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq may attack the city in the coming one or two days.

"Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours," the embassy said in a statement on X, again urging Americans in the country to leave immediately.