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LAST UPDATE | 7 Oct 2024
THE POSITION OF Israeli forces close to the UN peacekeeper bases where Irish troops are stationed in southern Lebanon is “deeply concerning”, a UN spokesperson has said.
Irish troops are hunkering down in bases along the Blue Line at the Lebanon-Israel border as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The Journal has obtained photographs that show the Israeli tanks apparently using the Irish outpost at 6-52 inside Lebanon just a few hundred metres from an Israeli base inside Israel near Avimim.
The images show Israeli Merkava tanks and Leopard Armoured Personnel Carriers concealed at the western wall of the Irish camp. There are two armoured tractors also visible building a defensive position to conceal the tanks.
One of the Israeli tanks can be seen pointing its barrel towards the Irish base and down an adjacent roadway. The Irish camp is near Maroun al-Ras, where eight Israeli soldiers were killed last week.
The Israeli military (IDF) has asked UNIFIL personnel to leave some of their bases in the south of Lebanon, but the UN forces have stayed put, choosing to remain as observers to the conflict.
Conversely, the UN has asked Israel to withdraw from its position but they have not responded to that request.
Last week, Israel began launching incursions into Lebanon where they have been met with resistance from Hezbollah forces in intense fighting close to the border. Last night, there was heavy shelling in the area.
Today, Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli troops in a south Lebanon border village, as the IDF said it had deployed another division to participate in operations in Lebanon.
Hezbollah fighters “bombed… a gathering of Israeli forces in the Maroun al-Ras park with a rocket salvo”, the group said in a statement, after announcing separately it had targeted several areas of northern Israel and military positions across the border.
“At the moment, the position that Israeli Defense Forces are a few 100 meters away from the Irish position close to Maroun al-Ras, which is close to the to the Blue Line,” said Andrea Tenenti, a spokesperson for UNIFIL.
“So as we said yesterday, this is very concerning, because of the IDF placing their position close to our base, where there is intense shelling, at least last night, between IDF and and Hezbollah. So this is definitely deeply concerning for the mission,” Tenenti told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme today.
Intense diplomatic efforts are being made at UN Headquarters in New York to push Israel to de-escalate and move back from their positions, Tenenti said, “because this situation of having IDF forces close to the area, with Hezbollah from the other side, it compromises the safety of of our peacekeepers”.
The bases where Irish troops are stationed currently have enough food and other resources for “at least a couple of weeks”, Tenenti said.
“Operational activities have been very, very limited. And as I said, they’re very much limited to logistical movements, to try to resupply the contingents and our positions.”
A major concern is the possibility that civilians who have not fled the Israeli bombardment and raids could show up at the UN bases seeking shelter, which would pose difficult decisions for those in command.
The IDF has asked UN forces to leave their positions along the Blue Line, something the force commanders have refused to do.
Asked if the Israelis have threatened UNIFIL, Tenenti said they had not.
“They’ve asked us to move from certain positions. We have not received threats. And again, also reminding them of their obligation to protect our bases and installations. But so far, we have not received threats.
“Have they said what they will do if we refuse to move? No, they have not. They have not said that.”
The United Nations has a massive international military presence of 10,500 troops from 50 countries tasked with monitoring both sides.
The ultimate goal for UN forces is to maintain the Blue Line, a withdrawal line along what has become the de facto Lebanese-Israeli border, which was established in 2000 as Israel withdrew after another incursion and occupation.
The line is clearly visible in the area, a line of blue UN liveried barrels marks it out.
Resolution 1701 is intended to stop Hezbollah striking Israel, and for the Israeli Defence Forces not to set foot on sovereign Lebanese ground. Both Israel and Lebanon have signed up to the agreement, and both sides agree to the peacekeepers’ presence in the area – but Hezbollah would likely say that they have not.
If violence or an invasion occurs, as has happened since last week, then this agreement has been breached and the UN Security Council must take action.
However, the likelihood of sanctions for breaches of the resolution is practically non-existent, in part because of the unwillingness of big powers to take action.
Many tasks are fulfilled as part of UNIFIL, including a naval patrol, a French air radar monitoring centre and other activities.
Irish troops are tasked with patrolling the Blue Line, and ultimately their role is to record and inform the UN of any breaches or potential activity that could be classed as such.
“If the situation arrives to a point that would be impossible for the mission to operate, not only in safety for our troops, but it would be impossible also to work in support of the implementation of of 1701, although it’s been heavily challenged, the mandate of the mission, the Security Council will need to decide how to move forward,” Tenenti said.
In a statement this evening, the Defence Forces said Israel has recently breached the Blue Line in multiple areas, “raising significant concerns, particularly regarding the breaches near our Irish Battalion posts”.
Situation Update on Irish Defence Forces serving with overseas missions in Lebanon for family members
— Óglaigh na hÉireann (@defenceforces) October 7, 2024
The Defence Forces can reconfirm that all personnel in Lebanon are well and accounted for, and remain vigilant in their mission areas. The conditions are tough at the moment for… pic.twitter.com/U3Hst0dsWJ
“These incursions have been accompanied by the establishment of a new military zone on the Israeli side, suggesting an intent to expand operations further,” it said.
“Additional incursions into other battalion areas along the BL were observed overnight, exacerbating tensions in the region. As engagements have shifted north of UN Post 6-52, movement has become severely restricted.”
The DF said road access has been curtailed due to these military actions, leading to the recommendation that sheltering in place “remains the safest option at this time”.
Separately this evening, Taoiseach Simon Harris spoke to UN Secretary General António Guterres about the escalating situation in Southern Lebanon.
It’s understood Guterres assured the Taoiseach that the safety of Irish peacekeepers is of paramount importance and to the fore of his mind.
He also said that the UN’s Force Commander and colleagues are constantly evaluating the situation on the ground and that any necessary steps to ensure the safety of UN personnel would be taken. This would be done in very close cooperation with Ireland.
Harris reiterated it is unacceptable that UN resolutions and the Blue Line in Southern Lebanon have been breached and violated with IDF military activity.
The Secretary General said he shared the concern and engagement between the UN and Israel is ongoing. He and the Taoiseach agreed to stay in close contact.
The impacts of the conflict are not confined to the south of Lebanon.
A Lebanese security source said today that an Israeli strike hit near the country’s only airport in Beirut, close to Hezbollah’s stronghold in the south of the capital.
“Israel conducted an air strike near the airport,” the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency had earlier said Israel launched “a series of strikes targeting more than 30 towns and villages in the Tyre district,” after earlier saying a “series of strikes” hit other south Lebanon locations.
“The IDF is currently conducting a targeted strike in the area of Dahiyeh, a key Hezbollah terrorist stronghold,” the army said in a statement.
The death toll in Lebanon since 23 September – when Israel began bombing Beirut – now stands at 2,083, while 9,869 people have been wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
More than one million people have been displaced.
With reporting from Niall O’Connor, Jane Moore and AFP
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