More than a year after a court forbid direct Dutch exports of F-35 parts to Israel, a report claims, the Netherlands is still supporting the supply chain for the Israeli version.
According to research from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), ships that ship F-35 parts for maintenance and assembly visit Rotterdam frequently. The Danish shipping company Maersk owns the ships.
More than a dozen shipments from Israel passed through Rotterdam between April 2023 and early 2025, according to the group after looking at the import data and shipping receipts of Maersk and Lockheed Martin, the US weapons company behind the design of the F-35.
Israel has used the F-35 fighter jet to launch devastating airstrikes against Gaza. The Strip is in disrepair for a large portion of it, where more than 50 000 people have died since October 2023.
According to the report, “Maersk now runs a recurring shipping cycle between Israel Aerospace Industries in Israel and Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in Texas via Rotterdam.” Maersk transports pairs of empty F-35 wings from Houston to Ashdod, Israel, where they are loaded with completed F-35 wings. Then, for final assembly or repair, the filled containers are returned to the US.
The researchers noted that Rotterdam serves as a “key stopover point in this cycle,” and that shipment numbers for this cycle have not yet reached February 2024.
The Netherlands was then ordered to stop exporting and transiting F-35 parts to Israel because there was a “clear risk” that they were being used in “grave violations of international humanitarian law,” according to a judge in a Dutch appeals court.
The Dutch state is bound by the lower court’s decision until a decision is reached, but the state can appeal the Supreme Court’s decision right away.
According to the report’s findings, Rotterdam’s port is crucial for maintaining Israel’s F-35 fighter jets’ operational capabilities. According to Gerard Jonkman, director of a Dutch NGO called The Rights Forum, Rotterdam is complicit in international law violations in Gaza.
The Dutch government informed Al Jazeera that the court had later confirmed that the Dutch state had followed the Dutch state’s customs and that the ruling had only been applied to the export or transit of the F-35 parts from the Netherlands to Israel.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in charge of issuing permits for the transhipment of military goods, according to a Rotterdam port spokesperson. On behalf of the government and the Rotterdam municipal government, port officials checked the vessel’s compliance with environmental and safety laws, according to them.
The cargo of the ship is only of interest to the harbor master. The main inquiries are made regarding whether the vessel is bringing dangerous cargo. Other public authorities, including customs, are monitoring the movement of cargo on ships.
They claimed to be “aware” of the court’s decision from February 2024.
“All activities in the port must comply with international laws, regulations, and government permits.” The Port of Rotterdam Authority contacts the competent authority if there are any indications that this is not the case.
The Netherlands still participates in the supply chain, according to the statement.
The Dutch state sued the Dutch government over its export of F-35 parts to Israel, joining three other parties: the Dutch affiliate of Oxfam and the largest peace organization in the Netherlands, PAX for Peace.
The Palestinian Youth Movement’s findings were echoed by Gerard Jonkman, head of the Rights Forum, who stated that although there is no direct export from the Netherlands to Israel in this case, the Netherlands is still a part of the supply chain for the Israeli F-35 program. The Netherlands “may facilitate the Israeli F-35 program” and might violate international law’s requirements.
This in fact demonstrates that the Netherlands is a member of the F-35 supply chain, according to Frank Slijper, project leader for PAX for Peace.
The Palestinian Youth Movement, a grassroots organization, claims that Maersk’s killing directly disrupts the “supply chain of death used to genocide Palestinians.”
Since March 2022, Maersk has shipped the wings for every Israeli F-35, according to the group.
Maersk changed its routes in November 2024 as a result of Spain’s decision to block two ships carrying weapons from docking in Israel. The company’s fleet now steers clear of Spain and travels to Rotterdam and Tangier, Morocco’s port.
According to Aisha Nizar of the Palestinian Youth Movement, “Maersk has knowingly provided the Israeli military with key weapons components used to carry out the genocide in Gaza for years.” The business has followed through without hesitation, potentially violating several EU arms embargo laws.
The F-35 is regarded as the industry’s best fighter jet. In its most basic configuration, the Lockheed Martin aircraft costs at least $80 million.
The jet is currently being used by 12 nations. The project’s name is given to the project because F-35 parts are produced in the United States and a number of participating partner nations.
“It’s very sad to see that Maersk continues to lend itself to the vital replenishment of Israel’s armed forces,” Slijper said. “Maersk runs the risk of being complicit in Israel’s crimes by shipping military supplies to the benefit of Israel’s arms industry and the [Israeli army],” Maersk said.
Since the beginning of the onslaught in Gaza, Israel, the only nation with a unique version of the F-35, has been scrutinized for its use of the jet.
Campaign groups recently attempted to stop the exports of British-made F-35 components to Israel by suing the UK government.
Foreign military sales are government-to-government transactions, according to Lockheed Martin, and we strictly adhere to US government regulations when dealing with international partners.
Regarding F-35 shipments, Maersk told Al Jazeera that it upholds a strict policy of not sending weapons or ammunition to active conflict areas and that it conducts due diligence, particularly in areas like Israel and Gaza, and adapts this due diligence to the changing circumstances. However, it confirmed that Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary of Maersk Line Limited in the US, was one of “many companies supporting the global F-35 supply chain” with transportation services.
Israel is one of the coalition nations that the F-35 programme includes.
Source: Aljazeera
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