The appeal court ruling, in a case brought by three NGOs against the Dutch government, will prevent the US-owned parts from being transported directly to Israel from a regional warehouse in the Netherlands.

The case is likely to be appealed by the Dutch government to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.

Michiel Servaes, executive director at Oxfam Novib, one of the three plaintiffs, said: “This positive ruling by the judge is very good news, especially for civilians in Gaza. It is an important step to force the Dutch government to adhere to international law, which the Netherlands has strongly advocated for in the past.

“Israel has just launched an attack against the city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population are sheltering. The Netherlands must take immediate steps.

“It is a pity that this legal action was necessary and, unfortunately, has taken four months to come to this conclusion.

“The judge had ruled that the Dutch minister of foreign trade and development co-operation was obliged to re-examine the arms export license to Israel, and that his decision was taken incorrectly.

“We hope that this verdict can encourage other countries to follow suit, so that civilians in Gaza are protected by international law.”

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.

Amnesty International yesterday published what it says is fresh evidence showing Israeli forces flouting international humanitarian law in Gaza, including through direct strikes on residential targets in Rafah.