Earlier this month, Irish peacekeepers were travelling through the ancient city of Tyre on Lebanon’s west coast on a routine convoy when an Israeli missile landed nearby.
The impact was so close that debris showered the position of the Irish soldiers but there were no injuries. The town of Tyre has not been so lucky.
Israel, claiming to be targeting the positions of Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hizbullah, has continued to pummel the city. Most of its bridges have been knocked out, all but isolating it from the rest of the country.
This greatly increases the risks to United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) peacekeepers in the region, including the more than 360 Irish soldiers stationed in the southeast of Lebanon on the Israeli border.
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Unifil was created by the UN Security Council in 1978 and has served as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon. More than 330 peacekeepers have been killed since the mission was established.
The resupply and evacuation route for Unifil runs through Tyre. Any further destruction of roads and infrastructure could leave the mission vulnerable to being cut off.
Peacekeepers also face more direct threats, from both Israel and Hizbullah. On Sunday, a missile hit a Unifil base at Ett Taibe, near the Litani river in the north of the mission’s area of operations. An Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and another seriously injured.
The next day, another two Indonesian blue helmets were killed when an explosion hit their logistics convoy near Bani Hayyan, about 20km north of the Irish position. Unifil is investigating and has yet to attribute blame for the attacks.Earlier in March, a missile struck a UN post in the
town of Al-Qaouzah, just 4km from the Irish headquarters. Four Ghanaian peacekeepers were injured, one seriously. Irish soldiers rushed to the scene where they put out fires and helped evacuate the wounded.
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Since the latest hostilities began, Irish soldiers have continued to carry out their routine daily patrols, albeit with greater protection measures in place. Despite some close calls, no Irish peacekeeper has been killed or injured.
However, the situation looks like it will get worse before it gets better. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has pledged to occupy an area of Lebanon up to the Litani river, an area which effectively covers all Unifil’s area of operations, including the Irish sector.
Irish troops are already encountering Israeli ground incursions. At the same time, they are increasingly dealing with denial of freedom of movement (defom) incidents, where their patrols are prevented from moving freely in the sector.
Most of these are minor and quickly resolved. However, past experiences show defoms have the potential to escalate quickly if armed fighters show up at the scene.
A priority for Irish military management back in Ireland is assuring worried families the soldiers have the training and equipment to keep them safe. They are also working to ensuring troops do not become a target for either side. As part of this, there has been a crackdown on troops sharing videos or images of Israeli and Hizbullah military activities, either with friends or online. Israel has remonstrated with UN authorities, saying such activity puts its troops at risk by highlighting their positions to Hizbullah.
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Events on the ground are evolving rapidly and officials believe Israel could launch a full-scale invasion any day. But none of this is new for the Defence Forces.
Irish troops have remained at their Unifil posts during previous wars and invasions, including during the last Israeli invasion in 2024.
Evacuation plans exist, including by road, air and on Italian naval vessels. But military officials are quick to stress that this is not on the cards any time soon.
“They’re where they need to be – they’re surrounded by very well-trained individuals who also are there,” said Comdt Alex Quigley of the Defence Forces Press Offices on Monday.
