Israeli troops fire on Unifil positions in south Lebanon region where Irish troops based

A number of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) positions in southern Lebanon, in the same region where the Irish Defence Forces contingent is based, have been fired on by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
No Irish peacekeepers were injured in the incidents, the Government and Defence Forces said.
UN peacekeepers’ headquarters and nearby positions in southern Lebanon have been repeatedly hit, Unifil said in a statement on Thursday, which added that two peacekeepers were injured by Israeli tank fire. It accused the IDF of “deliberately” targeting a number of its positions in recent days, including firing at personnel on Thursday morning.
“Two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at Unifil’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall,” Unifil said of Thursday morning’s incident.
“The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital,” it added. “IDF soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Ras Naqoura, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system. An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance.
“Yesterday, IDF soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras. They also deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A, where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a relay station.
“Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council resolution 1701.”
The Irish Defence Forces confirmed on Thursday that its personnel were safe and accounted for. “All necessary force protection measures are being observed. The Defence Forces can also confirm that Irish positions have not been subject to incoming fire,” it said.
Unifil said the escalation in firing around the blue line, a demarcation zone dividing Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights, was “causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in south Lebanon, while rockets continue to be launched towards Israel, including civilian areas”.
“In the past days we have seen incursions from Israel into Lebanon in Naqoura and other areas. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have clashed with Hizbullah elements on the ground in Lebanon,” it added.
The IDF and the militant Lebanese group Hizbullah are effectively at war in the area, with IDF troops having pushed into southern Lebanon and built up their forces there since last week.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said “members of the Irish Defence Forces serving with Unifil, both in Camp Shamrock and in posts close to the Blue Line, were not involved and remain well”.
“They are continuing to carry out their mission with distinction, despite the extremely difficult circumstances,” he said in a statement.
“Firing on peacekeepers can never be tolerated or acceptable. The blue helmet worn by UN peacekeepers must be sacrosanct. They are serving on behalf of the international community in some of the most challenging places in the world. They are not combatants, and their role must be respected at all times.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said the IDF action “illustrates the very high-risk environment and the dangerous environment that peacekeepers are now operating in and the need for an immediate ceasefire”.
Mr Martin, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, told the Dáil that “Israel is not listening to its allies in terms of progressing its agenda” and “seems to be [at] all out war”. He said the IDF’s actions were “unacceptable” with “destructive warfare” leading to community, health and education services being “destroyed”. He said Israel’s actions were “a clear breach of international humanitarian law”.
The Tánaiste said planning continues for the November rotation of Irish Unifil troops. The handover of the 124th battalion to the 125th battalion was to occur in two stages, on November 13th-14th and November 24th-25th. He said October’s rotations have been suspended for safety reasons and November’s remains under “active review”.
The actions of Irish Unifil troops in not abandoning their position has “stiffened the resolve of the other posts” along the UN’s blue line, Independent TD Cathal Berry said.
A former member of the Army Ranger wing, he said of the 30 troops at outpost 6-52: “I shudder to think what would have occurred had our troops given into the intimidation and had they abandoned their position.
“I think it would have had a detrimental domino effect across the entire Blue Line, the other two dozen odd posts looking over their shoulder”.
Speaking in the Dáil, he said what “actually occurred was the opposite of that. The actions of our troops over there have stiffened the resolve of the other posts and reinforced the fact that that there be no more Srebenicas, at least not on our watch,” he said, of the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims during the Bosnian war.
“I think they say that that history can turn in the smallest of hinges and perhaps such a hinge is what occurred over the last few days at that outpost.”
There are 29 UN posts within 5km of the blue line border between northern Israel and southern Lebanon. One of those, UNP 6-52, was manned by about 30 Irish troops serving with Unifil when, in recent days, the IDF advanced towards their the small compound in tanks and military vehicles.
The IDF used earth movers to create firing positions, and protective berms, and remained directly outside the Irish post for several days. This caused concern they may be fired upon, so placing the Defence Forces Unifil personnel in grave danger.
However, on Tuesday morning it was confirmed the Israeli troops have moved on, initially pushing north, after Hizbullah said it would not fire on the IDF at that position.