Cabinet ministers updated about safety of Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon

Irish Cabinet ministers are being updated about the safety of Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon amid growing concern for the troops.

Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin said he is briefing Government colleagues about the security situation in the Middle East on Tuesday.

The Irish peacekeepers are serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) amid heightened conflict in the region.

Israeli forces have recently breached the Blue Line demarcation between southern Lebanon and Israel, which is observed by the UN peacekeeping unit.

The Irish Defence Forces said that all Irish troops are accounted for and well.

Israel’s military said it has expanded its ground operations into south-west Lebanon.

Mr Martin said the conflict in the Muddle East is having “devastating consequences” for the people of Lebanon and Gaza.

“Peace is needed, we need a political track, we need a peace track. Hezbollah need to desist firing rockets. Israel need to desist in our view,” Mr Martin said on Tuesday morning.

“We need a negotiated agreement between all the parties here.

“We continue our efforts with all parties. The US, France, Italy and others have been trying to negotiate a settlement in Lebanon but to no avail.

“Israel has a very clear agenda, it seems, in terms of Hezbollah and in terms of Hamas, but the problem is the entire population of Gaza was attacked.

“Some 70% of buildings in Gaza have been levelled, schools have been levelled.

“There hasn’t been a child going to school in Gaza for 12 months.

“The health service has been demolished. One cannot destroy the lives of an entire population in pursuit of one organisation like Hamas and there is no question in our view that there has been breaches of international law.

“Israel has to be held to account for that, before the international courts and the international community.

“The pressure to date hasn’t had an impact on the Israeli Government decisions.

“It’s the people who are suffering because of the lack of success of diplomacy and in my view the lack of any proportionality in terms of how these proxies are dealt with.”

Later on Tuesday, Irish premier Simon Harris will travel to Washington where he will meet President Joe Biden.

The visit comes as part of a series of events in Washington DC to mark 100 years of Irish-US diplomatic relations.

Mr Martin said that Mr Harris will “engage” with the US president about matters in the region.

“In the world of international diplomacy, we have to engage. Of course, United States has been a good friend to Ireland. President Biden in particular has been a very good friend to Ireland in respect to Brexit,” he added.

“The policy is about engaging with people across the world to try and bring these horrible situations to an end because what’s happening in the Middle East cannot continue.

“Death and destruction brings more death and destruction. It fuels hatred on all sides.

“That only brings further loss of life of innocent children, men and women. Israel is a government that has very strong allies in the European Union and in the US, and I think it cannot reduce its own standards to that of paramilitaries.”

In a statement, the Defence Forces said that the 124 Infantry Battalion reported no “significant changes” to the operational environment at this time.

There are 364 Irish troops deployed in Unifil, with 353 with the Infantry Battalion.

Two of the 25 outposts on the Blue Line come under Irish command in Unifil and approximately 30 Irish soldiers operate from one of these outposts.