BRUSSELS — A court in Belgium has ordered the Flemish government to stop the transit of military equipment to Israel, following the discovery of hardware in the port of Antwerp earlier this year.

The Court of First Instance in Brussels ordered the regional government to block the Antwerp shipment and prohibit any future transit of military equipment to Israel, which faces growing criticism in the West for its handling of the war in Gaza.

The judge also imposed a fine of €50,000 for any arms shipment sent to Israel.

The judgement came in response to a complaint lodged in June by four Flemish associations.

Speaking to Euronews, Lichen Ullmann, the coordinator of the Vredesactie movement, which was involved in the complaint, explained that the containers found in Antwerp "included pallets of tapered roller bearings, which are something used in tanks and armoured vehicles."

"They are shipped specifically to a company called Ashot Ashkelon in Ashdod in Israel, which is an exclusive supplier to the Israeli army of Merkava tanks, which are used in Gaza in the genocide," Ullmann added.

Belgium has banned arms exports to Israel since 2009, with the country's regions responsible for controlling the transit of weapons and their components.

However, the hearing in Brussels revealed that the Flemish government only controlled arms when transport companies requested it.

Ullmann said the judge cited the Geneva Convention and the Arms Trade Treaty, which prevent countries from exporting military equipment that could be used to commit war crimes or genocide.

"So there is a very broad basis for this case and it has been confirmed on all sides, including the ban on the specific container, but also on all other shipments of military equipment to Israel that could potentially be used in genocide," Ullmann noted.

Contacted by Euronews, the Flemish government, which can still appeal the decision, did not respond to questions.

The Brussels court judgement comes as an increasing number of Israel's allies, including the UK, have expressed concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza after almost two years of Israeli military action.

Experts have said that the enclave is experiencing famine, with dozens of people known to have died from malnutrition.

The war began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians.

Hamas took 251 people as hostages, and is currently holding 50, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.

A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date killed 61,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry whose figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. — Euronews