There is significant confusion among Irish troops in Lebanon regarding their obligation to protect civilians in the face of a full-scale invasion by Israel, military sources say.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday continued incursions into south Lebanon as part of its targeting of Hizbullah forces in the area. Israeli special forces troops were ambushed near the village of Maroun El Ras, about 2km from Irish outpost 652.
Initial reports stated Israeli forces suffered heavy casualties in the fighting, with video footage showing helicopters evacuating injured troops. The IDF has confirmed the death of one officer.
As the fighting intensifies and the IDF advances further into the Irish area of operations, there were concerns about how the Defence Forces could ensure the safety of civilians, military sources said.
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Since the Unifil (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) mandate was revised in 2006, peacekeepers are obligated “to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence”. The mandate was introduced in the wake of criticism of UN forces for not doing enough to protect civilians during Israel’s 2006 invasion of Lebanon and during ethnic violence in the Balkans and Rwanda in the 1990s.
However, the exact measures troops are expected to take to protect civilians were left vague and open to interpretation by officers on the ground.
Israel has sent emergency text messages to residents of many villages in south Lebanon warning them to evacuate, raising the possibility of civilians seeking refuge with Irish troops and the troops of other Unifil contributors. While tens of thousands of civilians have left the area, many others remain in their homes.
One option is to allow civilians into Unifil bases, including Camp Shamrock, the Irish headquarters near the border with Israel. Another is to establish “safe havens” in surrounding communities which would be protected by armed Unifil troops.
Both options come with risks, according to military sources. Allowing civilians into the base would significantly impact the operational efficiency of Unifil forces and would put pressure on dwindling supplies and infrastructure.
It may also leave Unifil troops open to accusations from Israel of harbouring Hizbullah militants. In a worst-case scenario, it may even make UN facilities a target for the IDF. Contingency plans exist to house civilians in buildings outside the base, such as schools or community centres, which would be guarded by Unifil troops.
Parties to the conflict, including the IDF, would be informed of the location of these bases which would be guarded by Unifil and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). However, the LAF have previously been reluctant to take part in planning for this eventuality.
This option also raises the possibility of Irish troops becoming directly involved in fighting if armed parties decide to attack one of these locations.
“The guidance for what to do with civilians is quite wishy washy so there is some confusion there,” said a source. “This is new ground for Unifil. It could be a major test for the mission and the UN.”
Ultimately decisions regarding the protection of civilians are a matter for Unifil Force Commander, Lieut Gen Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz. However, the dynamic nature of the conflict means individual officers may have to make quick decisions on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Representative Association for Commissioned Officers (Raco) has called for an increase in allowances for Defence Forces personnel serving overseas due to the mounting dangers faced by missions such as Unifil.
The group’s annual delegate conference was told overseas missions were becoming increasingly complex and a source of considerable stress for soldiers’ families back home.
Raco president Martin Ryan said the standard payment for a six-month overseas posting used to be enough for a deposit on a house. “Now you couldn’t even change a kitchen with it. The juice is no longer worth the squeeze.”
This means fewer people were volunteering for missions, especially among the higher ranks, the conference heard.
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