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Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Ireland issues formal protest letter to Israel over shots fired towards Unifil unit in Lebanon
Ireland has issued a formal rebuke to Israel via the United Nations after Israeli soldiers fired shots into an area being patrolled by Irish peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Thursday. The Government lodged the démarche, a diplomatic letter of protest, which describes events in the village of Yaroun as 'completely unacceptable in terms of the safety of peacekeepers and the execution of their mandated duties'. The letter said the concerns are held 'at the highest levels' of the Irish Government and Defence Forces. The Tánaiste, Simon Harris, was on Friday briefed on the incident by the new Defence Forces chief of staff, Brig Gen Rossa Mulcahy. It is understood that up to 30 shots were fired over a period of nine minutes towards a joint Irish-United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon ( Unifil ) and Lebanese armed forces patrol close to the Blue Line, which separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights. READ MORE No one was injured, but the unit was forced to leave the area. Irish troops have all been confirmed as safe and well. 'It's clear to me that the actions of the IDF were reckless, intimidatory, totally unacceptable and a clear breach of the international rules surrounding peacekeeping,' the Tánaiste said. 'I want to pay tribute to our personnel deployed with Unifil, who are operating in an increasingly volatile and tense environment.' [ Irish peacekeepers come under fire while on patrol in Lebanon Opens in new window ] In a statement to The Irish Times on Friday, Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich said: 'The incident is still being examined, and from an initial investigation by the IDF, there was no shooting at Unifil, but at suspicious individuals who approached the Blue Line. 'There have been many recent incidents of Hizbullah harassment and attacks on Unifil. It appears that Ireland is not reporting nor protesting those incidents. Why is that the case?'
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Government lodges protest letter over Israeli gunfire near peacekeepers
Ireland has lodged a formal letter of objection with Israel after shots were fired in the vicinity of peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. The incident came during a joint Irish-United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) and Lebanese armed forces patrol close to the Blue Line on Thursday. Advertisement None of the Irish personnel – who had recently been deployed with Unifil as part of the 126th Infantry Battalion – were injured in the incident. Oglaigh na hEireann said on Thursday that all personnel were reported to be safe and well, and continued to monitor the situation in southern Lebanon. On the direction of the Minister for Defence, Simon Harris, a formal 'demarche' has been served on the Israeli government through the UN. It says Ireland considers the incident in the village of Yaroun as 'completely unacceptable in terms of the safety of peacekeepers and the execution of their mandated duties'. Advertisement 'These concerns are held at the highest levels' of the Irish Government and the Defence Forces, it adds. Tanaiste Mr Harris was briefed on the incident by the new Chief of Staff Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy. Just before midday on Thursday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) fired shots into an area where a joint Irish-Lebanese unit was conducting peacekeeping duties. Nobody was injured. Mr Harris said: 'It's clear to me that the actions of the IDF were reckless, intimidatory, totally unacceptable and a clear breach of the international rules surrounding peacekeeping. Advertisement 'I want to pay tribute to our personnel deployed with Unifil, who are operating in an increasingly volatile and tense environment.'
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Irish peacekeepers ‘safe and well' after shots fired close to patrol in Lebanon
Irish peacekeepers serving in southern Lebanon have been described as safe and well following the firing of shots close to a patrol. The Irish Defence Forces said they have received reports that a number of shots were fired in the area of a joint Irish United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) and Lebanese Armed Forces patrol close to the Blue Line. Advertisement It is understood the incident took place at around midday close to the village of Yaroun. None of the Irish personnel – who were recently deployed to Unifil as part of the 126th Infantry Battalion – were injured in the incident. In a statement, Oglaigh na hEireann said a number of small arms rounds were fired in the vicinity of the area where the patrol was operating. 'The patrol withdrew from the area, there were no injuries to the personnel on the patrol and no damage reported to the armoured vehicles they were operating from,' they said. Advertisement 'All personnel of the Irish Contingent in Lebanon are reported to be safe and well, they continue to monitor the situation in southern Lebanon and are committed to the stability of the region as impartial peacekeepers. 'We wish to remind all actors of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of UN peacekeepers.' Taosieach Micheál Martin said the firing of rounds in the vicinity of Unifil positions in Lebanon is 'completely unacceptable'. 'The safety of peacekeepers carrying out their mandated duties must be respected by all,' he said. Advertisement 'Fortunately all Irish troops are safe and well.' (left to right) Chief of Defence forces Lt General Sean Clancy, Tanaiste Simon Harris and Battalion commander Lt Col Shane Rockett at Camp Shamrock in March (Niall Carson/PA) Minister for Defence Simon Harris said he has been briefed on the incident. 'I want to firstly send my best wishes to the Irish Defence Forces personnel affected in today's incident,' the Tanaiste said. 'While I am very pleased to report that all personnel are safe and well, the fact they came under fire while on patrol is deeply worrying. Advertisement 'Today's incident illustrates the dangers that our peacekeepers face every single day while on a patrol in a region that has been increasingly unstable and volatile.' Earlier Mr Harris announced the renewal of Ireland's Unifil mandate for a further 12 months. 'Ireland is proud to have been part of the Unifil mission since 1978 with 30,000 personnel having served there to date,' he said. 'We are deeply committed to this vital mission, one that supports peace, delivers stability and protects the communities in southern Lebanon.' Advertisement
