Cabinet to hear of 'challenges' in UNIFIL mission renewal
Ministers will be told that the Government is fully supportive of Ireland's continued participation in the mission, but there are "particular challenges" in renewing the mandate on this occasion.
Last month it emerged that there was mounting concern in Government that the United Nations peacekeeping operation in southern Lebanon may not have its mandate renewed by the Security Council in August.
Ireland has participated in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, since 1978.
However, Israel has been highly critical of the force and there are worries that its ally, the United States, could withdraw financial backing for the operation.
In a Cabinet briefing note, Mr Harris will re-confirm Ireland's support for UNIFIL but also acknowledge how a number of factors will present particular challenges when it comes to renewing UNIFIL's mandate.
It is expected the Tánaiste will express his intention to liaise with the United States, France, Lebanon and the UK, with a view to ensuring that UNIFIL remains in situ - including the ongoing participation of more than 340 members of the Irish Defence Forces.
On 28 August last year, the UN Security Council unanimously passed resolution 2749 extending UNIFIL's mission for 12 months.
It is expected that the Lebanese government will strongly support the renewal of the mandate.
However, the upcoming talks will be the first since the cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah, which has a strong base in southern Lebanon.
The Cabinet backed the Irish Defence Forces' continued participation in UNIFIL last May.
In New York, Israel is said to be lobbying at the UN headquarters for a downgrade of the role of UNIFIL.
The Trump administration is viewed as being sympathetic to that argument, but it is currently unclear what position it will adopt in August.
Two months ago, Irish soldiers who were serving as peacekeepers in southern Lebanon came under fire near what is termed the "blue line" between Israel and Lebanon, while on a joint patrol with the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The UNIFIL Force Commander conveyed the Government's anger and concern at the shooting incident directly to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
Mr Harris condemned the incident at the time and said it was an "utterly inappropriate, utterly unacceptable" attack on Irish peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon.
"This is the latest in a range of what I view as intimidatory behaviour by the IDF towards peacekeepers, or as we saw recently, Irish diplomats too. So this is not acceptable," Mr Harris said.
The incident took place close to the village of Yaroun and the patrol withdrew from the area when it occurred.
No injuries to personnel on the patrol were reported and no damage reported to the armoured vehicles they were operating from.
The location was roughly 10km from the main Irish military base in Lebanon, known as 2-45 or Camp Shamrock. It was also 5km from an Irish base on the Blue Line, called 6-52.
In May, UNIFIL also reported that direct fire from the Israeli army had hit the perimeter of one of its peacekeeping positions in south Lebanon.
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