Tunisia, Britain to Develop Joint Counter-Terror Plan

Policemen patrol during a military operation against militants in a village some 50 km (31 miles) from the town of Ben Guerdane, Tunisia, near the Libyan border March 10, 2016. (Reuters)
Policemen patrol during a military operation against militants in a village some 50 km (31 miles) from the town of Ben Guerdane, Tunisia, near the Libyan border March 10, 2016. (Reuters)
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Tunisia, Britain to Develop Joint Counter-Terror Plan

Policemen patrol during a military operation against militants in a village some 50 km (31 miles) from the town of Ben Guerdane, Tunisia, near the Libyan border March 10, 2016. (Reuters)
Policemen patrol during a military operation against militants in a village some 50 km (31 miles) from the town of Ben Guerdane, Tunisia, near the Libyan border March 10, 2016. (Reuters)

Tunisia and Britain announced efforts to develop a joint strategy to combat terrorism and its impact.

The announcement was made during an international conference organized by the British embassy and Axiom International and hosted by Tunis. Head of Tunisia’s anti-terrorism commission (CNLCT) Mounir Ksiksi and British Ambassador Edward Oakden, as well as international experts and Tunisian government officials, attended the event.

Both parties agreed that “cyber terrorism” is the current most dangerous threat given that it preys on children and women.

They revealed a bilateral effort to establish a center for training people from scientific backgrounds to study terrorist phenomena and means to prevent them.

Ksiksi affirmed his country’s partnership with the United Kingdom’s embassy to review the domestic counter-terror strategy, which mainly relies on identifying terrorist threats against Tunisia, especially from ISIS and al-Qaeda.

He said the strategy will be implemented on ground and carried out by the military and security forces. A second part of the plan aims to prevent terrorism through protecting Tunisian society.

Tunisia and Britain have suffered from terrorist attacks in the past, Oakden ssaid, citing the Ben Guerdane battle in Tunis and the London and Manchester attacks in the UK.

Britain has boosted its counter-terrorism support for the North African country, especially after the 2015 attacks.



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.