BRUSSELS: A Belgian court has issued a landmark ruling to stop the transit of military components to Israel through the Port of Antwerp, citing humanitarian concerns amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The decision, delivered by the Brussels Court of First Instance on 17 July, blocks a shipment of parts intended for Israel’s Merkava tanks and Namer armoured vehicles. The cargo, currently stuck at the EU’s second-largest port, will not be allowed to proceed.
The ruling further states that the regional government of Flanders will be liable to pay a daily fine of €50,000 for each future arms shipment to Israel that breaches the self-imposed arms embargo, originally declared in 2009. The court accused the authorities of failing to enforce their own embargo, stressing they held a “crushing responsibility” due to the large-scale human toll in Gaza.
The judge criticised the lack of systematic monitoring at the port, noting that containers were only inspected upon shipping companies’ request. The court described this enforcement approach as inadequate and compared it to relying on violators to report themselves, highlighting a severe lapse in regulatory oversight.
The case was brought forward by Belgian civil society organisations including 11.11.11, Vredeactie, Intal and the League for Human Rights. The coalition emphasised that the ruling should mark the beginning of genuine political accountability, especially during a time when many politicians are on parliamentary recess. The groups described the Flemish embargo as symbolic and ineffective until now.
In parallel, a group of Belgian and French lawyers have filed a separate legal action at the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg. Their filing accuses the European Commission and Council of failing to act to prevent genocide, adding further pressure on EU institutions.
