All Irish troops unharmed in Lebanon, but Taoiseach is 'extraordinarily concerned' amid unrest

LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago

THE DEFENCE FORCES have confirmed that all Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon are “accounted for and well”.

The DF released an updated statement this afternoon after more unrest in the region today.

Earlier, Unifil confirmed that a UN peacekeeper underwent surgery after being shot in Lebanon overnight amid fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

Buildings at a Unifil’s camp in Ramyah in southern Lebanon also saw “significant damage” due to explosions from shelling nearby.

Unifil confirmed the attacks on its social channels, but said it doesn’t yet know where the gunfire came from.

“Last night, a peacekeeper at Unifil’s headquarters in Naqoura was hit by gunfire due to ongoing military activity nearby.

“He underwent surgery at our Naqoura hospital to remove the bullet and is currently stable,” the statement noted. 

“We do not yet know the origin of the fire. Also last night, buildings in our UN position in Ramyah sustained significant damage due to explosions from nearby shelling.”

Unifil added that it wanted each group in the area to remember “obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and premises”.

In its statement this afternoon, the Irish Defence Forces said: “Military actions continue in the region with these actions being monitored by Unifil peacekeepers.

“Defence Forces personnel are resolute in their commitment to peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon.”

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‘Extraordinarily concerned’

Taoiseach Simon Harris today said he is “extraordinarily concerned” about the situation in southern Lebanon.

“I think we have seen yet another line crossed by Israel. Peacekeepers and peacekeeping is protected by international law.

“In my view, we have already seen Israel flout international law on many occasions, particularly in terms of their disproportionate actions and the impact that that has had on children and on civilians in Gaza.

And now we’re seeing international law being floated in relation to peacekeepers and peacekeeping.

Harris said Ireland is monitoring the safety of its troops “not on a daily basis, but on an hourly basis”.

“The advice at the moment from the generals on the ground, both UN and from our generals and chiefs of staff here in our Defence Forces, is that the mission should continue. But it is a very dangerous situation, we need to be clear about that.”

Harris thanked the Irish troops, saying “they’re serving our country and the UN with distinction”.

He assured their families he and the Government “will do everything we possibly can to speak up, speak out, and act against the egregious breach of international law that we’re now seeing by Israel”.

“We will continue to call on all parties, Israel and Hezbollah, to step back from the brink here. Peacekeeping and peacekeepers have a very specific protection in international law, and that needs to be respected.”

Warning from Israel

Israel earlier warned residents of south Lebanon “not to return” to their homes today as Hezbollah said it launched missiles across the border on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

In cities around Israel, markets were closed and public transport halted as observant Jews fasted and prayed.

But with the country at war, troops remained engaged in combat in Hamas-run Gaza and in southern Lebanon, a traditional Hezbollah stronghold, amid a firestorm of criticism over the wounding of four UN peacekeepers.

In a message addressed to south Lebanese, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote on X: “For your own protection, do not return to your homes until further notice… Do not go south; anyone who goes south may put his life at risk.”

The war between Israel and Hezbollah has killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon since 23 September, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures, and forced more than a million to flee their homes.

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On Saturday, Hezbollah said it had launched missiles at an Israeli army base near the northern city of Haifa.

In a statement the group said its fighters were “targeting the explosives factory there with a salvo of… missiles”.

Air raid sirens sounded in northern Israel, with the Israeli military saying it had intercepted a projectile launched from Lebanon.

Israel began pounding Gaza shortly after suffering its worst ever attacks from Iran-backed Hamas militants on 7 October last year, and it launched a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon on 30 September.

After the Yom Kippur holiday, attention is likely to turn again to Israel’s expected retaliation against Iran, which launched around 200 missiles at Israel on 1 October.

Gaza Strip

The Israeli military has also renewed its orders for Palestinian in the northern Gaza Strip to leave their homes and shelters as troops continue an offensive against militants.

Military spokesman Avichay Adraee told people to leave parts of Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan area and other locations in and around Jabaliya, the urban refugee camp where Israeli forces carried out several major operations over the course of the war.

In a post on X, Mr Adraee asked people to head south to Muwasi, a packed area in southern Gaza designated by the military as a humanitarian zone.

Most of the fighting in the past week was centred in and around Jabaliya that was pounded by Israeli war jets and artillery.

Residents said they have been trapped inside their homes and shelters.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities.

Contains reporting by Eoghan Dalton, © AFP 2024 and PA

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