“I am scandalized and ashamed that this important visit of the European Defense Commissioner Kubilius to the top company Thales could not take place. How could this happen? This must be thoroughly investigated,” Francken wrote on X. He added that he has been in contact with Interior Minister Bernard Quintin about the incident.
Kubilius met with company executives in Brussels instead. “Thank you for upgrading the rocket for 10 million Euros … Real impact – combating drones and saving lives,” wrote on Xsend photos and representatives of the manufacturer.
Thales Group is a French aerospace and defense giant. In 2024, the manufacturer increased its production of laser-guided rockets at its Herstal plant, supported by the government of the Walloon region, according to company website.
Demonstrators in the Herstal area were protesting the effectiveness of Wallonia’s ban on exporting military equipment to Israel, which has been exists since May 2024according to Belgian news agency Belga. The move followed reports that 70 tons of ammunition and explosives had passed through Liège Airport since the start of Israel’s retaliation in Gaza after the October 7 attack, in which Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages.
The attack led to a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of them civilians, displaced 90 percent of Gaza’s population and destroyed large areas. A ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump in October 2025 resulted in the release of the remaining 20 Israeli hostages.
