The killings still cause great anger

The charges relate to massacres in the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, after the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, when Mr Sharon was Israeli Defence Minister.

Lebanese Christian militiamen went on a three-day killing spree which left between 800 and 1,500 Palestinians dead.

Mr Sharon resigned as defence minister after an Israeli inquiry found him indirectly but "personally" responsible, for failing to stop what happened.

The charges he faces in Belgium have been brought under a controversial law passed in 1993, which allows people to be prosecuted in Belgium even if they and their victims are foreign, and if the events happened abroad.

Arafat accused

The law has sparked a number of cases against high-profile leaders, including Cuban President Fidel Castro, former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

And on Tuesday, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in a suit brought by about 30 Israelis and Belgians under the same law.

A decision on whether Mr Sharon can be prosecuted was delayed early in October, when Belgian lawyer Adrien Massert, appointed to represent Mr Sharon, said he needed more time to build up his case.

Diplomatic immunity

Mr Massert has said that Mr Sharon rejects the legality of the case against him.

He says Belgium has no right to try a foreigner for alleged crimes committed abroad and arguing that, as a statesman, Mr Sharon has diplomatic immunity.

The first suit against Mr Sharon, charging him with responsibility for the deaths, was lodged by a group of Palestinians, Lebanese, Moroccans and Belgians.

The second suit, which alleges crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes, was filed by 23 survivors of the massacres and five eyewitnesses.

If the case goes ahead, Mr Sharon could technically be arrested if he enters Belgium.