FiMED – Follow-up

The factory of the Belgian company BATS (Belgian Advanced Technology Systems), a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, was completely burned down in an incident on Monday night inside an industrial park near the city of Liège, as investigations into the circumstances and motives of the fire continue.

Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported that police believe the fire was deliberate, after investigators found it had broken out at three different spots inside the facility, with no injuries recorded.

A group of activists circulated a statement online claiming responsibility for the attack and linking it to the company's ownership by Israel Aerospace Industries, while the group's identity has not been officially established.

BATS works in the field of radar systems and electronic components and also supplies systems and equipment to the Belgian Armed Forces, which in recent years has placed it on lists of European companies targeted by protest campaigns over their ties to the Israeli arms industry.

The burning of the facility comes amid mounting protests and pressure in a number of European countries against companies and institutions linked to Israeli military industries over the war on the Gaza Strip, while Belgian authorities are still investigating the incident and working to identify those responsible.