Peacekeepers in Lebanon put ‘at risk’ by EU mission debate, minister says

Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon are “concerned” about a “ridiculous narrative” that they will be sent to fight alongside the Israel Defence Forces against Hezbollah, the Defence Minister has said.

Helen McEntee told the Dáil that the concerns were outlined in reports to her from “senior management” within the Defence Forces that troops are being “put at risk” by the suggestion.

The Fine Gael minister said she had to “push back on” an “absolutely ridiculous narrative” that Government would be sending Irish troops to fight with the IDF against Hezbollah after the removal of the triple lock system for approving overseas deployments.

Ms McEntee accused members of the Dáil and Seanad of pushing the claim in the debate around Ireland’s support for an EU mission in Lebanon after the mandate for the Unifil peacekeeping mission expires at the end of the year.

The EU’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas has said the bloc supports Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah, which is in conflict with Israel in the region.

Concern has been raised in the Defence Forces that a suggestion that Ireland will align with Israel would put peacekeepers currently in Lebanon at risk.

Ms McEntee said: “I received a report from senior management of the Defence Forces, who have received reports from senior personnel in Lebanon on the ground, where their troops are concerned that this kind of narrative that you are pushing – that is completely false and inaccurate – that we are going to send our troops to fight with the IDF against Hezbollah.”

Speaking on Tuesday, she added: “Our troops are saying that is putting them at risk.

“I’ve just come from the region. They are surrounded by troops from Hezbollah and from the IDF that are in conflict with each other, and you are actively saying that we are going to be sending our troops to fight with Israel against Hezbollah.

“It is completely false and accurate.”

Ms McEntee was responding to a question from People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who rejected the assertion said he was seeking clarity on whether Irish troops would be involved in the armed disarmament of Hezbollah..

“There is deliberate confusion coming from the Government.

“There is going to be mission creep here – it is about getting the training mission agreed, which may not require the triple lock.

“We are then going to get into peace enforcement. Listen to what Kaja Kallas said talking about the EU mission, she said ‘our objective is to strengthen the Lebanese armed forces and the ability of the Lebanese state to provide security across its territory’.

“She said ‘that also means moving towards disarmament of Hezbollah’.

“I do not want our troops involved in the armed disarmament of Hezbollah, I do not think our troops should be involved in that, I do not want to put our troops at risk of that.”

Mr Murphy had accused the Government of engaging in a “propaganda effort” to try and convince the public the triple lock needed to be scrapped.

He said the coalition had attempted to portray a proposed EU support mission in Lebanon as “some sort of continuation” of the Unifil mission following the expiry of its mandate at the end of this year.

Ms McEntee told the Dáil: “Anything that we would agree to, anything that we would even consider, would have to again be in line with the UN Charter, international law, with the principles of the UN Charter, would have to go through a very similar process to what we have now but without the requirement for the UN mandate.”

She later added: “There are two strands to the one mission, we are choosing to be a part of the civilian side.

“I hope everybody agrees with that. It is training. Much of it is office work. It is about supporting through surveillance, cybersecurity and all of these other elements through which we want to support the LAF.

“If we want to take part in the other element, the military element, which could include force protection, we would not make a decision until we saw what it involved and its boundaries, and considered whether it aligned with our values, international law and the UN Charter.

“We would not make that decision unless we were satisfied, but we cannot decide if the triple lock is in place.”