​​​​​​​BRUSSELS

A civil court in Brussels has ordered the Flemish government to block all shipments of military equipment and goods with potential military use to Israel through Flemish territory, including the Port of Antwerp, the Belga news agency reported Thursday.

It came after a legal challenge by four Belgian NGOs, which argued that shipments to Israel risk violating national arms trade laws and international humanitarian law.

The case centers around a container intercepted in June in Antwerp that carried tapered roller bearings from France that were bound for Israeli defense contractor Ashot Ashkelon Industries.

The company manufactures components for Merkava tanks and Namer armored vehicles that are currently deployed in Gaza. Although the bearings are considered "dual-use," with civilian and military applications, the court ruled they require strict scrutiny due to the risk of military use.

The judge cited credible evidence that Flemish authorities had not sufficiently monitored or controlled military-related exports to Israel.

The decision obliges the Flemish government to enforce arms trade regulations rigorously and imposes fines of €50,000 ($58,000) for each violation.

The Flemish government is appealing the ruling.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 58,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.