AS ISRAEL CONTINUES its ground incursion into South Lebanon they have been blamed by UNIFIL for targeting and injuring UN Peacekeepers.
In the last three weeks more than 20 soldiers from UNIFIL have been injured either from fire or the actions of Israeli tanks or in artillery incidents.
Israeli tanks apparently used United Nations Post 6-52, occupied by Irish troops, as cover for operations against Hezbollah in nearby Maroun el Raz.
In a separate incident at the weekend 15 Ghanaian soldiers were injured when IDF soldiers fired rounds that emitted smoke and caused “skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions”.
There has also been direct fire onto positions at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura.
There are 10,500 soldiers from 50 countries deployed in the UN peacekeeping mission – 350 of those are Irish Defence Forces personnel.
They are armed and have the right to defend themselves and the civilian population against hostile acts. They carry a card with them that outlines what their procedures for the use of force.
So what are the rules of engagement for Irish soldiers in Lebanon?
Under what circumstances could Irish troops and their colleagues take lethal action against Israeli or Hezbollah targets to defend themselves?
Resolution 1701 is a United Nations international agreement used as a legal mechanism that places peacekeepers in South Lebanon to monitor and report breaches of a peace agreement in place since the previous most recent Israeli invasion in 2006.
The strategy and agreement is nothing new, it has been there in different forms and different numbering since the UN Peacekeepers were first placed in Lebanon in 1978 to deal with fighting between Lebanese and Israeli forces.
The mission was established through a United Nations Security Council resolution that was passed to compel Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in the wake of their 1978 operation in the country.
There has been repeated incidents of ground incursions and full scale invasions. This has caused some updating as to how UN peacekeepers operate in the country.
Critically the mission is “peacekeeping” – rather than a more aggressive peace enforcement operation. This essentially means that UNIFIL soldiers are observers and report back if there are breaches of the resolution.
Diplomatic and military sources defined the mission as being about de-escalation, which would limit recourse to military aggression.
Paragraph 12 of Resolution 1701 says peacekeepers can act “in support of a request from the Government of Lebanon” to deploy an international force to assist it to “exercise its authority” across the territory.
The resolution says UNIFIL is authorised to take “all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilised for hostile activities of any kind”.
1701 also states that troops can “resist attempts by forceful means” and that it is empowered to protect UN personnel, facilities and buildings and to ensure the “security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel and humanitarian workers”.
The paragraph ends with a critical line which says that this can be done: “without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence”.
A United Nations statement from 2006 as the Irish arrived back after a break from deployments described what can be done by soldiers:
“United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon have the authority to use force against hostile activity of any kind, whether in self-defence, to ensure their area of operations is not used for hostile activities or to resist attempts by force to prevent them from discharging their duties.”
Irish soldiers undergo extensive training at home before deploying to UNIFIL – this includes rules of engagement guidelines.
While every soldier is trained in the use of lethal force and regularly employ that training during their guarding of military installations here at home there is a need for further training before going to Lebanon.
In two week long Mission Readiness Exercises, generally held in the military training ranges in the Wicklow Mountains, specific scenarios test how those rules of engagement are employed by individual soldiers.
These scenarios include regular incidents such as when Hezbollah fighters block their routes while on patrol, ambushes and attempts to attack them.
Similar to gardaí, soldiers on duty at military bases here in Ireland are trained to escalate their response gradually in given situations – from verbal commands to the ultimate use of a firearm. That can be very different in an active battle situation.
Sources said the training is focused on using the minimum force necessary to complete a task. They must justify their use of force.
Every soldier is given a card which outlines in clear language how they can then use force. Sources we spoke to said that there is regular discussions had by platoon commanders during the deployment about how far they can take it.
The Journal has witnessed briefings of soldiers on foreign deployment before they leave their base where an officer leading the operation informs them of their rules of engagement.
They are told that they can use force to prevent “loss of life or injury” and in protecting the civilian population.
Irish soldiers have a long history of holding the line in Lebanon and have had recourse to use lethal force. There were a number of well-documented incidents in the 1980s when they fired and neutralised the threat posed by attacking their troops.
One senior source said: “Times have changed from the 1980s and the mission has changed also. The priority is to find a balance where the Defence Forces doesn’t want its soldiers to be reluctant to use their weapon but also to find a way that it isn’t the first option they go to.”
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