Irish Unifil veterans have been left “shocked and saddened” by the destruction of an orphanage in south Lebanon this week which has deep ties to the Defence Forces.
The town of Tibnin has been hit by several Israeli air strikes in the last month, leaving much of it, including the orphanage, in ruins. The orphanage was evacuated in late September before Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, with its 40 child residents brought to Beirut. Most have since been placed with extended family members.
Irish soldiers serving with Unifil have been supporting the orphanage with donations, education and maintenance projects since the late 1970s.
Defence Forces troops visited as recently as September, before Israel’s invasion, to carry out maintenance.
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The Irish Defence Forces said that the maintenance project was funded through donations from serving personnel and noted that: “The Irish Contingent, through the Department of Foreign Affairs funding, facilitated the purchase, delivery and installation of carpets and furniture at the end of September.”
Before 2000, Tibnin was also the location of the Irish Unifil headquarters. The headquarters was later relocated further south but Irish troops maintained a relationship with the orphanage.
An Irish Defence Forces spokesman said that the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin, Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Seán Clancy and “the entire Defence Forces community, in particular our veterans who have served in Unifil, are shocked and saddened to learn of the damage that has befallen Tibnin. Although no longer in the Irish Area of Operations, strong historical ties remain.”
Tibnin local Hassan Saad said that the house opposite the orphanage was hit by a drone at 11pm on Friday night followed by an air strike around 12.30am on Saturday.
“The orphanage would have been central to all of the [Irish] Battalions over the long number of years we have been there,” said retired Defence Forces Col Con McNamara, who served a number of tours in Lebanon.
He recalls securing a “badly needed” 22-seater minibus for the orphanage which was presented by then taoiseach Bertie Ahern in the late 1990s. Irish troops also raised funds for a generator for the facility.
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“It’s an area we have a very close relationship with and have continuously supported.”
Israeli has claimed Hizbullah has been using Tibnin as a base to launch rockets into Israel.
Over the years, Irish engineering troops have carried out crucial maintenance of the orphanage as well as providing language classes.
A memorial to the 47 Irish soldiers who have died in Lebanon remains standing at Tibnin. Until September, Irish troops conducted a monthly memorial there but these have been suspended as a result of the invasion.
Mr Saad says the memorial remains intact, although debris from nearby strikes on the village has fallen on the area surrounding the memorial.
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