IRISH CITIZENS IN Lebanon have been urged to leave the country immediately after the chief of the Israeli army said the military is preparing for a possible ground operation.
The United Nations has said more than 90,000 people have been displaced by five days of Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Israeli strikes today killed 51 people and injured more than 220, according to Lebanon’s health minister.
The count comes in addition to 564 who were killed and more than 1,800 wounded in the previous two days, including around 150 women and children.
Addressing troops on the northern border, Chief of Staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said the latest Israeli airstrikes were designed to “prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah”.
It followed Hezbollah firing a missile towards Tel Aviv for the first time.
The launch of the Hezbollah missile towards Tel Aviv ratcheted up hostilities in the region, even as Israel continues to battle Hamas in the Gaza Strip. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
The Israeli military said it struck the site in southern Lebanon where the missile was launched.
Taoiseach Simon Harris today received a briefing in New York on the Irish peacekeeping missing in southern Lebanon from the UN Secretary General António Guterres.
Irish troops are part of the UN’s Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Harris said they are “well trained and following all protocols”.
He added that their “safety is paramount” and that Guterres “assured” him that “conditions are under constant review and that UNIFIL is prepared for all eventualities”.
Harris then urged all remaining Irish citizens in Lebanon to leave immediately and that those not in a position to do so, should ensure that they are registered with the Irish Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
Harris meanwhile condemned both the “bombing of civilian areas in Southern Lebanon by Israel and the firing of rockets towards civilian areas in Israel by Hezbollah”.
He said that “even at this late stage, it is not too late for all sides to step back from the brink” and that with “Gaza in ruins, opening a second front in Lebanon would be a disaster, risking an all-out war with profound consequences for the region and the world”.
And speaking from New York at the UN General Assembly High Level Week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said there is “concern about the trajectory of the escalation into Lebanon”.
He described the situation as “catastrophic” and called on Israel to “stop the bombardment into Lebanon”.
Martin added that the “indiscriminate bombing violates international humanitarian law” and that it is “absolutely unacceptable”.
He also described Israel’s actions as “reckless” and that the country “seems to be oblivious to the regional implications” and added: “Where stands reconciliation and aspects of peace into the future, if this type of indiscriminate attacks continues?”
Meanwhile, Martin today announced additional humanitarian funding for both Lebanon and Sudan – war has been ongoing in Sudan since April last year.
Each country will receive an additional €1 million and this will bring Ireland’s humanitarian assistance to Lebanon over this year to over €5 million, while this figure is €14 million for Sudan.
Martin will later address a meeting at the UN headquarters to highlight the crisis in Sudan and call for an immediate ceasefire.
“There are an estimated 3.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Lebanon, while the situation in Sudan remains dire with half the population – over 25 million people – facing acute hunger,” said Martin.
Last year, Ireland invested a record €312 million in humanitarian relief globally and will at least match this figure in 2024.
Martin said today’s announcement of further humanitarian assistance for Sudan and Lebanon “is a reflection of Ireland’s deep commitment to assisting people around the world in their moment of need”.
-With additional reporting from Jane Matthews in New York and Press Association
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