Departure of Israeli forces from post where Irish peacekeepers serving welcomed

The departure of Israeli forces from a post in south Lebanon where Irish peacekeepers are serving has been welcomed by the Taoiseach.

The development came on Tuesday amid growing concerns for the safety of Irish peacekeepers.

They are serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) amid heightened conflict in the region.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Irish Defence Forces confirmed UN reports that there are no IDF personnel or vehicles observed in the vicinity of their position.

“Defence Forces personnel deployed in Lebanon are currently maintaining a robust operational presence,” they said.

“They are well equipped with sufficient provisions to ensure long-term sustainability during their mission. This includes adequate supplies of food and water, which are essential to meet the operational needs of the troops throughout their deployment.

“The Irish Defence Forces personnel remain committed to their mission, closely monitoring the situation while ensuring their safety and effectiveness in operations.

“The strategic landscape is evolving, and the Defence Forces are prepared to adapt to these changes as necessary.

“The Irish Defence Forces continue to perform their duties with professionalism and courage, serving as vital components in factually reporting the live situation.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris described it as “extremely welcome news”.

“The safety of our soldiers is paramount and when I spoke to secretary general (Antonio) Guterres last night he was completely at one with me on the urgency of the situation,” he said.

“I thank the secretary general for his efforts following our discussions. It is important to note that our troops are highly trained and professional and they continue to do their jobs.”

However he cautioned: “The situation in southern Lebanon remains tense and dangerous and we will continue to review and monitor it very closely.”

Israeli forces have recently breached the Blue Line demarcation between southern Lebanon and Israel, which is observed by the UN peacekeeping unit.

Israel’s military said it has expanded its ground operations into south-west Lebanon.

Earlier Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the conflict in the Muddle East is having “devastating consequences” for the people of Lebanon and Gaza.

“Peace is needed, we need a political track, we need a peace track. Hezbollah need to desist firing rockets. Israel need to desist in our view,” Mr Martin said on Tuesday.

“We need a negotiated agreement between all the parties here.

“We continue our efforts with all parties. The US, France, Italy and others have been trying to negotiate a settlement in Lebanon but to no avail.

“Israel has a very clear agenda, it seems, in terms of Hezbollah and in terms of Hamas, but the problem is the entire population of Gaza was attacked.

“Some 70% of buildings in Gaza have been levelled, schools have been levelled. There hasn’t been a child going to school in Gaza for 12 months.

“The health service has been demolished.

“One cannot destroy the lives of an entire population in pursuit of one organisation like Hamas and there is no question in our view that there has been breaches of international law.

“Israel has to be held to account for that, before the international courts and the international community.

“The pressure to date hasn’t had an impact on the Israeli government decisions.

“It’s the people who are suffering because of the lack of success of diplomacy and in my view the lack of any proportionality in terms of how these proxies are dealt with.”

Later on Tuesday, Mr Harris will travel to Washington where he will meet US President Joe Biden.

The visit comes as part of a series of events in Washington DC to mark 100 years of Irish-US diplomatic relations.

Mr Martin said that Mr Harris will “engage” with the US president about matters in the region.

“In the world of international diplomacy, we have to engage.

“Of course, United States has been a good friend to Ireland. President Biden in particular has been a very good friend to Ireland in respect to Brexit,” he added.

“The policy is about engaging with people across the world to try and bring these horrible situations to an end because what’s happening in the Middle East cannot continue.

“Death and destruction brings more death and destruction. It fuels hatred on all sides.

“That only brings further loss of life of innocent children, men and women. Israel is a government that has very strong allies in the European Union and in the US, and I think it cannot reduce its own standards to that of paramilitaries.”

There are 364 Irish troops deployed in Unifil, with 353 with the Infantry Battalion.

Two of the 25 outposts on the Blue Line come under Irish command in Unifil and approximately 30 Irish soldiers operate from one of these outposts.