Ministers' have ruled out human rights concerns over Israeli arms exports'

Ministers have in effect decided no human rights concerns would justify halting the sale of fighter jet parts that could be used by Israel in Gaza, according to a legal submission from two campaign groups.

- Dan Sabbagh, Patrick Wintour

Lawyers representing Al-Haq and the Global Legal Action Network argue the UK government has concluded Britain has to continue supplying F-35 components in all circumstances, otherwise Nato air defence against Russia could be compromised.

The claim comes in a document submitted on behalf of the campaign groups for a judicial review aimed at forcing the UK to halt all exports to Israel related to F-35s because of the impact on civilians of bombing raids on Gaza.

It argues that if jets with British parts were used "by Israel or senior Israeli officials to commit or facilitate serious violations" of humanitarian law ministers would still not take these concerns into account.

The campaign group's position is based on a previous submission from the government's legal team. That said Britain accepted UK-made components for F-35s "might be used" by Israel to commit war crimes.

But, the government argued, the continued export of parts was nevertheless justified for wider reasons of "international peace and security" because they were supplied to a wider pool of countries than Israel.