There are no plans at present to remove Irish peacekeeping troops from Lebanon as advice from the United Nations (UN) is that the mission is safe to proceed, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Friday directed Ireland to remove its United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) peacekeeping troops from an outpost in southern Lebanon as its invasion of the country intensified, but the request was denied.
Mr Harris on Sunday would not be drawn on comments made by President Michael D Higgins describing the request from the IDF as “outrageous”. But he noted that the president “has the interests of our peacekeeping troops absolutely to the fore of his heart and mind in all of these things”.
On Saturday, the Israeli embassy in Dublin strongly criticised the President’s intervention, saying the claim that the IDF had threatened Unifil forces was “unfounded and inflammatory”.
“I don’t want to inject any language into this situation ... that may not be helpful to come from me,” said Mr Harris.
He added that the security situation in the region was “extremely dangerous, so we’re continuing to monitor this”. He said he wanted to assure the Irish public, and particularly the families of soldiers, that the Government was watching the situation closely.
He called for a de-escalation in tensions, which has manifested in fighting between Israeli forces and Hizbullah in the last week — some of which occurred a short distance from an outpost close to where about 30 Irish soldiers are stationed.
“One of those outposts has now found itself in a location that is subjected to a significant level of fighting at this moment in time, it is really important that all parties to the conflict respect the UN mission here and abide by that and that our troops are kept safe,” he said.
In a statement on X on Sunday, the Defence Forces said it “can reconfirm that all personnel in Lebanon are well and accounted for, and are maintaining vigilance in their mission areas. Despite the tough conditions, the Irish troops remain steadfast in their determination and resilience to fulfil the mission.”
In his statement on Saturday, Mr Higgins said: “It is outrageous that the Israel Defence Forces have threatened this peacekeeping force and sought to have them evacuate the villages they are defending. Indeed, Israel is demanding that the entire Unifil operating under UN mandates walk away.”
On the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack that left many young people dead, injured and taken hostage at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering music festival in Israel on October 7th last year, the President condemned the escalation of attacks across the Middle East and threat to the lives of those in the Defence Forces.
The President said that as “Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces … I am thinking of what an anxious time it is for them.”
The Republic’s contingent of close to 300 peacekeepers is part of an allocation of 10,000 Unifil soldiers.
The Israeli embassy said the IDF “made a request through different channels to have some Unifil troops move from areas of military activity for their own protection and safety. Let it be clear that the safety of peacekeeping forces is of immense importance to Israel. To attempt to characterise this as a threat to Unifil forces is another unfounded and inflammatory accusation levelled at Israel, as we have seen in the past months.”
The embassy added that “it should be remembered that for almost a year, the people of northern Israel have been under relentless bombardment by Hizbullah, forcing entire communities to flee their homes, a grim reality no other country would have suffered for so long. Israel has a duty and an obligation to protect its citizens and will act accordingly.”
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