Global Ministries among 230+ organisations calling upon governments to halt all arms to Israel, including F-35 fighter jets

Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ joined 230+ organizations in calling on all countries which are partners in a proposed transfer of F-35 fighter jets to Israel to take action in line with their legal obligations and immediately halt the direct and indirect transfer of F-35 parts and components to Israel.

Partners to the F-35 program have individually and collectively failed to prevent these jets from being used to commit serious violations of international law by Israel, most obviously  across the occupied Palestinian territory, including international crimes, despite overwhelming evidence in this respect. States have either been unwilling to observe their international legal obligations and/or claimed that the structure of the F-35 program means that it is not possible to apply arms controls to any end-user, making the entire program incompatible with international law.

These jets have been operating in Gaza armed with munitions, including 2,000 lb bombs – explosives with a lethal radius up to 365 m, an area the equivalent of 58 football pitches. In June 2024, a UN report identified these bombs as having been used in “emblematic” cases of indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on Gaza that “led to high numbers of civilian fatalities and widespread destruction of civilian objects.”

The full letter is available below: