Irish troops 'accounted for' after reported Lebanon strike

Armoured UNIFIL vehicles during a patrol around Marjayoun in south Lebanon on Tuesday

Irish troops are accounted for and well after a reported strike near a UNIFIL base in Lebanon, the Defences Forces have confirmed.

Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin told the Dáil of the news on Thursday.

"I'm in a position to report to the House that I understand a statement will issue shortly from our defence forces stating all Irish accounted for and well in Lebanon," he said.

UN sources told Reuters news agency that Israeli troops opened fire at three positions held by UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Thursday.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is a UN peacekeeping mission created in 1978. It monitors hostilities and helps to ensure humanitarian access to civilians.

'Deeply concerned'

In a statement, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris said he is "deeply concerned" by reports that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have fired at UNIFIL positions at its headquarters in Naqoura.

"We send our solidarity to the military personnel who suffered light injuries as a result," Harris said.

He 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," the taoiseach said.

He said that "firing on peacekeepers can never be tolerated or acceptable".

Drawn by the United Nations, the Blue Line is the 120km demarcation line where Israel pulled back to when they left south Lebanon in 2000.

Harris said the Defence Forces members are "not combatants" and that "their role must be respected at all times".

He again called on all sides for an "immediate" ceasefire.

UNIFIL statement

The proximity of the IDF to Irish UN troops has caused high levels of concern within United Nations headquarters as fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah.

UNIFIL said on Thursday that "recent escalation along the Blue Line is 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 soldiers have clashed with Hizbullah elements on the ground in Lebanon," UNIFIL said.

It said its Naqoura headquarters and nearby positions have been "repeatedly hit".

UNIFIL armoured vehicles patrol on the entrance of the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura near the border with Israel

Peacekeepers injured

UNIFIL said that 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".

It said their injuries are not serious, but they remain in hospital.

"IDF soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system," UNIFIL said.

"An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance."