New imagery obtained by RTÉ shows almost 20 pieces of Israeli military equipment have been located at a newly created firing position close to the UN post currently manned by Irish troops in southern Lebanon.
The Irish Defence Forces has requested that the image in question is not published “for reasons of operational security”.
The close proximity of the Israeli position to the Irish UN troops has triggered high level concern within United Nations Headquarters, as fierce fighting continues in the area between Israel and Hezbollah.
RTÉ has established that the United Nations wrote directly to Israel on Friday through diplomatic channels in their New York headquarters, referencing the position and asking that firing from such locations cease.
The diplomatic correspondence came after requests made to Israel by UNIFIL – the UN mission in Lebanon – through military-to-military channels in the days prior.
Israeli firing from the location was ongoing through Saturday, and Israeli Merkava tanks have been active around the base in recent days. Irish Defence Forces sources do not dispute that Israeli military equipment have been positioned near the Irish post.
It has emerged the Israeli Defence Forces have asked the United Nations to stand down “several” peacekeeping outposts along the Israel-Lebanon border.
A senior source at the United Nations confirmed the requests to RTÉ News and said the IDF asked for the outposts to be “vacated”, without specifying how many. It’s understood a diplomatic “conversation” is taking place between both sides, which has not concluded.
The UN Peace Operations office in New York is dealing with the issue and has not yet had a response from Israel’s Permanent Representation there.
What happens if the IDF refuses to withdraw is not known, but the source says that “if the current peacekeeping mission can’t continue to operate” the United Nations Security Council “will need to decide how to move forward”.
There are a total of 50 outposts in the peacekeeping area along the border, 29 of them are in close proximity to the so-called blue line between both countries.
‘Firing tends to draw a return fire’
The image on the Irish post, known as UNP 6-52, was taken on Saturday afternoon. An official in UN headquarters in New York said such Israeli fire close to a UN post puts peacekeepers at risk.
The official also said the manner of diplomatic correspondence issued on Friday has rarely been issued in relation to UNIFIL positions.
“It’s dangerous because firing tends to draw a return fire, and our peacekeepers are in bunkers, and bad things can happen,” they said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they had not been permitted to speak publicly.
The UN correspondence issued on Friday was sent in the form of a ‘note verbale,’ a formal letter, from the UN Department of Peace Operations to the Israeli UN mission.
“There has been us communicating with them on a military-tactical level, and obviously that is not resulting in them standing down,” the UN official said, “and there has been a continuance of kinetic activity near our positions, which puts our peacekeepers at risk – it was in response to that.”
“The reason we sent that note verbale is because we’re really concerned, we’re concerned about the action that the IDF is taking near our peacekeepers, and if they’re not taking that action, we don’t send the note verbale,” they added.
In the image, Israeli tanks and pieces of military equipment are positioned in rows, behind long mounds of earth. It is understood the Israeli position was created using armour-protected bulldozers on Wednesday.
No Irish troops have been injured since fighting in the area began on Tuesday when Israeli forces crossed the defacto border – known as the blue line – into Lebanon.
The Irish Defence Forces confirmed on Saturday that a broken window was discovered by Irish troops after they emerged from a bunker within their position where they had been sheltering during a period of heavy firing by the Israeli forces nearby.
The Irish Defence Forces said in a statement “despite the heightened tensions and recent kinetic activity in the area, our troops continue to perform their duties with professionalism and courage”.
“They are the eyes and ears of the international community, working diligently to create the space for diplomacy and the delivery of humanitarian aid, whilst ensuring their own safety.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the families of our personnel for their support and understanding during this critical mission. Your strength enables our soldiers to carry out their roles effectively.”
The Israel Defence Forces says the aim of their operation in southern Lebanon is to enable the safe return of 60,000 Israelis to their homes in the north of Israel. Many fled following the 7 October 2023 attacks, when Hezbollah increased its rate of rocket fire over the border as a show of support for Hamas in Gaza.
At the start of the operation, the IDF requested UNIFIL move its troops out of areas of military activity. That request was rejected.
On Saturday, President Michael D Higgins issued a statement in which he says, “It is outrageous that the Israeli Defence Forces have threatened this peacekeeping force and sought to have them evacuate the villages they are defending,” he said.
The Israeli embassy in Dublin responded saying “let it be clear that the safety of peacekeeping forces is of immense importance to Israel”.
“To attempt to characterise this as a threat to UNIFIL forces is another unfounded and inflammatory accusation levelled at Israel, as we have seen in the past months.”
The UNIFIL Mission
Irish troops have been in Lebanon for decades as part of a 10,000 strong multi-national UN peacekeeping mission called UNIFIL. It was first established in 1978 following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon, and extended in 2006, after the Israeli-Hezbollah war.
The Irish battalion operates out of Camp Shamrock with a contingent from Poland, and is responsible for two outposts, one on the blue line at Yaroun, and the other outside the town of Maroun El Ras, where the Israeli military has now also set a position.
UNIFIL’s mandate is to monitor the cessation of hostilities, and assist the army of Lebanon to keep the area “free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL deployed in this area”.
However, UNIFIL does not enforce the tense peace in the area, it monitors it. It is not responsible for disarming Hezbollah, nor is it meant to communicate with the group.
Many in Israeli military circles perceive the Lebanese army to be subservient to Hezbollah, and as result, that UNIFIL are effectively a shield for Hezbollah activity against Israel.
In the past, Israeli officials have criticised UNIFIL for allowing Hezbollah fighters to sweep in and fire rockets from near UN positions, saying Hezbollah do so in the knowledge that Israel will not risk returning fire towards the United Nations posts.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has accused UNIFIL troops of spying for Israel.
On Wednesday, Israel declared the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres “undesirable,” banning him from entering the country.
The Israeli foreign minister said Mr Guterres failed to “unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel” the previous day, and as a result “does not deserve to set foot on Israel’s soil.”
It a significant escalation of the long-running feud between Israel and Mr Guterres, which has been growing significantly over the last year of war in Gaza and tension in the Middle East.
Additional reporting: Fran McNulty in Beirut