Taoiseach Simon Harris has reaffirmed that there are currently no intentions to withdraw Irish peacekeeping forces from Lebanon, taking into account the United Nations’ (UN) declarations stating the mission remains secure. Despite Israel Defence Forces’ (IDF) calls for Ireland to extract its UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) peacekeeping personnel, as conflict in the country amplified, the demand was rejected.
Presidential remarks made by Michael D Higgins, wherein he branded the IDF’s request as “shocking”, went unanswered by Harris on Sunday. The Taoiseach did, however, underscore that the President consistently holds the welfare of our peacekeeping troops paramount.
The Israeli embassy in Dublin issued a severe reprimand on Saturday, refuting the President’s assertion of the IDF threatening Unifil troops as “baseless and provocative”. Harris avoided further inflammation by saying, “I don’t wish to contribute any unhelpful rhetoric to this situation.”
Harris acknowledged the region as being highly volatile and pledged consistent surveillance. Moreover, he reassured the public, and in particular, the soldier’s families, that their government is vigilantly keeping tabs on the proceedings.
He urged for a reduction in the regional conflict, which has recently culminated in hostilities between Israeli forces and Hizbullah. Notably, several incidents occurred near an outpost where around 30 Irish soldiers are based.
In connection with one such outpost now being situated in a battle-engulfed zone, Harris stressed, “It is of utmost importance that all parties involved respect the UN mission, comply with it and ensure our soldiers are safeguarded.”
On Sunday, a declaration from the Defence Forces confirmed that all members in Lebanon are safe, constantly alert in their mission regions, and standing sturdy despite harsh circumstances. This information reassures their commitment to their task, as described in their statement on X. Likewise, Mr Higgins strongly denounced the intimidation exerted upon the peace-keeping militia by the Israel Defence Forces, by urging them to abandon the villages under their protection. The President sees Israel’s insistence for the entire Unifil, which operates under United Nations’ supervision, to withdraw as intolerable and criticises it in his statement from Saturday.
In relation to the first anniversary of the devastating Hamas attack at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering music fest on October 7th, the previous year, the President condemned the increasing violence across the Middle East. Also, he voiced his concern about the dangers faced by the Defence Forces personnel. The President, holding the position of Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, conveyed his apprehension about the circumstance’s strain on them.
The Republic has assigned nearly 300 peacekeepers as part of the 10,000 Unifil soldiers. The Israeli embassy stated that it had requested Unifil to displace some soldiers from combat zones, through different channels, to ensure their safety. Israel perceives safeguarding peacekeeping forces as crucial, and hence dismisses any depiction of this as threatening to Unifil as unfounded and inflammatory charges.
Furthermore, they remind us that for almost a year now, Northern Israelis face constant Hizbullah attacks, prompting entire populations to abandon their homes – a dire situation that wouldn’t have been tolerated for so long by other countries. The embassy strongly affirms that Israel is duty-bound to safeguard its residents and will respond in the necessary manner.