The United Kingdom has remained firm in exporting spare parts for US-made F-35 fighter jets to Israel despite the Tel Aviv regime blocking the entry of aid into the war-torn Gaza Strip, a British minister says.

Speaking to parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Tuesday, UK’s Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer said London is “confident” in licensing F-35 spare parts to the occupying entity despite its blockade of humanitarian aid and electricity to the Palestinian territory.

He added that even before Israel tightened restrictions this month, wintertime limits on goods had already worsened living conditions in the besieged territory, as items like tents, sleeping bags, and water purification systems were blocked by the regime, claiming they could be repurposed for military use.

“It was a question that was very much on our minds as winter came in Gaza and it was an issue on which we made limited progress, I’m afraid, with the Israeli” regime,” Falconer said.

The minister said that while the Labour government suspended around 30 arms export licenses to Israel since September over humanitarian law concerns, an exception was made for F-35 spare parts, claiming that suspending these licenses would disrupt the F-35 supply chain, affecting Israel, the UK’s allies, and European security.

“We could not suspend those licenses without impairing the overall F-35 supply chain which would have significant far-reaching ramifications given the importance of F-35s right across our allies and, indeed, in our own region in Europe,” Falconer noted.

According to the British minister, the decision allegedly aligns with international peace and security interests, and the government is confident it complies with its legal obligations.

The controversial move by London has sparked legal challenges, with Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq pursuing a judicial review of UK arms exports to Israel, as critics argue that the government’s exception contradicts its commitments under international treaties like the UN Arms Trade Treaty.

During a parliamentary hearing, Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord questioned how this carve-out could be justified, while committee chair Emily Thornberry pressed Falconer on why the UK could not adopt the same stance as the Netherlands, which halted the direct export of F-35 parts to Israel after a court ruling.

Falconer responded that the UK’s position, like the Dutch case, would be tested in a judicial review scheduled for May, emphasizing the government’s confidence in its legal standing and asserting that the F-35 program is crucial for international security.

When asked if escalating violations of humanitarian law by Israel might prompt stricter controls on arms exports, the British minister reiterated the UK’s stance, stating that maintaining the F-35 supply chain remains a priority due to its broader geopolitical importance.

Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza on Sunday, in the latest move to tighten a stifling blockade on the Palestinian territory despite a ceasefire and captive/prisoner exchange agreement.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), warned on Monday that the situation in Gaza is “deteriorating very, very quickly.”

He said another hunger crisis will threaten the survival of two million Palestinians living in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip if Israel continues blocking the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

Israel launched the campaign of genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023. The regime has killed at least 48,515 Palestinians there so far.

In January, the Israeli regime was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas, given the regime’s failure to achieve any of its objectives, including the “elimination” of the Palestinian resistance movement or the release of captives.