Melike Pala and Selen Valente Rasquinho
23 January 2026•Update: 23 January 2026
BRUSSELS
Belgium has banned aircraft carrying weapons and military equipment to Israel from using the country's airspace or making technical stops, the Foreign Ministry confirmed to Anadolu on Friday.
According to sources from the ministry, the measure came into effect on Thursday.
The decision, initiated by Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, requires relevant parties to report to Belgian officials the transportation details of flights carrying military equipment to Israel, daily Le Soir reported.
The embargo aims to prevent the transportation of arms and military goods to Israel, the daily noted.
The decision also closes legal loopholes that previously allowed "non-stop transit" shipments, where cargo was not unloaded during technical stops.
Inspections will be conducted by customs authorities and the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport (SPF Transport).
In Belgium, licenses for arms exports fall under the authority of regional governments, while transportation and transit of weapons are managed at the federal level, which means the federal embargo could effectively prevent the use of regional export licenses.
"Belgium has an obligation to do everything possible to avoid contributing to this situation... Belgium is ensuring that it respects its obligations under international law and is sending a clear signal at the European and international levels," Prevot said earlier on this topic.
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza that began in October 2023 and lasted two years has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000, most of them women and children, and destroyed about 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
Since a ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Israel killed 483 Palestinians and wounded 1,287, sharply restricting the entry of food, shelter materials and medical supplies into Gaza, where 2.4 million Palestinians live in dire conditions.
