The deployment of a new group of Defence Forces personnel to a United Nation’s mission in Lebanon is being kept under review but is going ahead as planned despite increasing violence in the area, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said.
Mr Martin, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, said there was “no indication” the shells that fell on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) positions at the weekend represented a deliberate attack on personnel stationed there. He was speaking in Kilkenny on Tuesday where he reviewed the 123rd Infantry Battalion ahead of its upcoming deployment to Lebanon as part of Unifil. He was accompanied by Defence Forces chief-of-staff Lieut Gen Seán Clancy, who did not take questions from the media.
There has been increasing violence in the Middle East region and ongoing clashes between Israel and Hizbullah along the Lebanese border area since an attack in Israel by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas three weeks ago. Irish troops have at times since been forced to take cover in bunkers.
The exchanges have been a daily occurrence, with Hizbullah saying 46 of its fighters have been killed and Israel saying seven of its soldiers have died as a result.
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“We are always concerned with situations like this, when tensions increase and it’s more dynamic and more kinetic,” said Mr Martin when asked about the timing of the deployment of the battalion to replace the 331 Irish personnel coming to the end of their tour. “But it is a peacekeeping mission and we’ve been there since the 1970s, through moments of very significant volatility and, indeed, war.”
He said the Irish troops were part of a large international deployment in Lebanon, and would continue to monitor the situation and take precautions. “Our troops are well trained...and our troops are safe and well, and will continue to take precautionary measures.”
Asked if the 123rd Infantry Battalion might not be sent to Lebanon due to the volatility, Mr Martin said the deployment was going ahead. “Everything gets under review but at the moment there’s no issue.”
Mr Martin said “the great casualty of war” was civilians and this was now the case in the Israel-Hamas conflict. He said people in Gaza needed “respite” and an “immediate cessation of hostilities” as well as to be allowed access to humanitarian aid and medical supplies.
“The situation is very volatile, feelings are running very high because of everything that has happened,” he said of the situation. “We believe a rational, strategic approach needs to be adopted because not only (does) Israel have a right to go after Hamas, but in our view they must do so within the parameters of international law and humanitarian law.
“And the entire civilian population of Gaza can’t collectively suffer because of the actions of Hamas. They (Israel) must distinguish between the population of Gaza and Hamas. And that’s the view we take on this.”
Mr Martin added there were 35 to 40 Irish citizens in Gaza, and to his knowledge none had been able to get out, a situation which he noted applied to dual citizens from all over the world.
A peacekeeper from Nepal was injured on Saturday night when two mortar shells hit a Unifil base in the vicinity of Houla village, around 15km from Camp Shamrock, where most of the Irish personnel are based. A shell also hit the Unifil headquarters in Naqoura on Saturday, with no injuries reported.
Hizbullah militants have been firing rockets into Israel from the Irish area of operations, raising fears that Irish posts could be inadvertently hit in retaliatory attacks.
Some of the 333 Irish personnel preparing to be deployed in coming weeks said their families were more nervous due to the worsening security situation in the region. However, those who had been on previous missions said Lebanon had been very dangerous at times down the years, adding deployments to Chad and Liberia were also very challenging.
Battalion Quartermaster Nicolas Scott (51) has already been on 14 overseas missions with the Defence Forces; 11 to Lebanon, while also completing other tours, including in Kosovo and Chad.
“Procedures are always in place to keep us safe, so it’s about following those procedures,” he said. . “Obviously people are going to be a bit apprehensive about this mission.” Married to Sharon and with three sons - aged 15, 20 and 24 years - he said his family were very aware of what was going on in the region, adding “no matter how many times you do it, it’s always hard” to leave his family.
Lieut Ashleigh Weadick, from Wexford, was embarking on her first overseas deployment, saying she was “excited to go and looking forward to it” after nine years service in the Defence Forces.
Sgt Shendagh Moran, also from Wexford, has already served in Chad, Lebanon, Syria and Mali, saying “every trip has been brilliant”.
“I’m not nervous, we’re well prepare for every trip so you wouldn’t be nervous. And the people around me are also looking forward to getting started.” However, she said because people now had access to so much information about what is happening in the Middle East, it was perhaps harder for family members than it would have been when she first started to go abroad.
“We’re out there doing a job but it’s tough for your family because they’re here and they’re seeing things (on social media). And you have to reassure them that a lot on social media may not be true, and be sure you keep in touch”.
