Trade unions in Belgium have already declined to handle weapons that are headed to Israel.
In order to safeguard civilians in Gaza, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa branch demanded on Wednesday that arms transfers to Israel and Hamas be suspended.
Amnesty MENA declared on X (previously Twitter) that “we’ve called for an arms embargo on all parties to the conflict in [Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories]”.
Four Belgian trade unions are reportedly “blocking weapons transfers to Israel in response to ongoing unlawful attacks” that have left thousands of civilians dead or injured in Gaza. The group has supported these strikes.
“Others ought to do the same!” MENA amnesty was added.
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Four Belgian unions, FGTB, ACV, CSC, and BBTK/SETCa, issued a statement in response to the post asking people to “refuse the handling of military supplies used by the war in Palestine.”
The Stockholm International Peace and Research Institute (SPRI) estimates that the US and Germany, Israel’s two largest arms suppliers, would be the countries most negatively impacted by the hypothetical embargo.
Following the October 7 Hamas attack, which West Jerusalem said cost 1,400 Israeli dead and 200 more were taken captive, Washington promptly started delivering Israel ammunition and other supplies. Congress has yet to authorise an additional $14 billion in aid to Israel at the White House’s request.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that since Israel launched war on Hamas in reaction to the incursion, firing and bombing the territory before deploying ground forces, about 8,800 Palestinians have died and over 22,000 have been wounded.
