What is happening with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon?
In recent months, Irish officials have expressed concern that the UN Security Council may refuse to continue the peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon known as Unifil.
The 10,000-strong force was established in 1978 following an invasion of Lebanon by Israel. Now Israel, with the backing of the United States, wants the mission to come to an end. It has blamed Unifil for failing to disarm Hizbullah, the militant group which controls much of south Lebanon.
Ireland and other countries have lobbied hard for Unifil’s mandate to be renewed. That seems to have paid off, at least in the short term. On Thursday, the security council agreed to extend the mission until the end of 2026.
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/08/28/security-council-votes-to-keep-peacekeepers-in-lebanon-until-2027/
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Following that, a year-long wind-down period will ensue, during which duties will be transferred to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
How will this affect Ireland?
Ireland has been a troop contributor to Unifil since 1978, aside from 11 years between 2000 and 2011. During that time, more than 30,000 Irish troops have served. Forty-seven Irish troops were killed during this period, more than any other contributing country.
A total of 348 Irish troops serve with Unifil. The decision to end the mission in 2027 will have significant impacts on the Defence Forces. It is the only big overseas posting for Irish soldiers, following the decision to wind down the contribution to the UN mission in Syria last year.
A two-year drawdown period is seen as the best possible outcome for Ireland. An immediate withdrawal would have been a logistical and security nightmare.
Does this relate to the Triple Lock?
With Unifil coming to an end in 2027, Ireland will be looking for other overseas missions to take part in. It could opt to send troops back to existing UN mission in places like the Central African Republic or South Sudan.
Or it could wait for a new mission. However, the security council has not approved a new peacekeeping force since 2014, meaning any future deployments are likely to take place under an EU banner, or possibly as part of a Nato force.
Ireland’s triple lock prevents more than 12 Defence Forces troops deploying overseas as part of an international force without a UN mandate.
The Government is in the final stages of abolishing the triple lock, arguing it gives the permanent members of the security council a veto over its foreign policy. This will enable Irish troops to participate in EU missions without a UN mandate, including potentially one day in Ukraine.
What are the implications for the Defence Forces?
Overseas service is seen as vital for recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces. It provides excitement, extra pay and opportunities for career progression. This is one of the reasons Ireland has lobbied so hard for Unifil to continue.
On the other hand, the Defence Forces have been so understaffed in recent years that longer-serving members find themselves repeatedly ordered to deploy overseas against their wishes, a process known as mandatory selection.
Some see the end of Unifil as offering an opportunity for the Defence Forces to catch its breath and focus on the many programmes of reform and expansion promised by the Government.
Would the Defence Forces be capable of joining a new peacekeeping mission?
Unifil has historically been a relatively stable posting where lightly armed troops are expected to keep the peace rather than enforce it. This suited an organisation like the Irish Army, which is essentially a light infantry force with some mechanised elements.
Any new deployment, whether in Africa or Ukraine, is likely to be, in military parlance, more kinetic. In other words, more dangerous. This will require a rethink in the Defence Forces’ training and force design to make it more of a “warfighting” organisation.
In some respects, this has already begun. For example, a process will soon begin to acquire a new fleet of armoured personnel carriers, which will have better armour and heavier weaponry than the existing models.
