‘Please evacuate our troops. There are teenagers out there’ – families’ plea to Taoiseach over Irish peacekeepers trapped in Lebanon

The UN has now raised concerns over the position of Israeli tanks near the peacekeeping post known as UNP 6-52, manned by Irish troops.

In a statement last night, Unifil – the UN mission in Lebanon – said the presence of IDF troops there was an "extremely dangerous development".

The platoon of Irish soldiers have been locked down at the Irish base along the so-called 'Blue Line' since last Monday when the perimeter of their base was swarmed by Israeli Merkava tanks.

The Israeli army dug in around the Irish base and engaged Hezbollah in heavy rocket and gunfire that has persisted throughout the weekend.

Irish UN troops maintain a large base, Camp Shamrock, and two outposts along the Blue Line – the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon.

One outpost is near the town of Yaroun and UNP 6-52, where the platoon of 33 Irish troops have been bunkered down since last week, is outside Maroun El-Ras.

No supplies can be delivered to the outpost. One source they have just one week of rations left but "an adequate amount of water".

The outpost is approximately 6km from Camp Shamrock. There was "constant radio contact" between both camps, a source said.

'The Government can withdraw them. They are locked down and virtually powerless in the middle of a war zone'

There is growing desperation among some family members of Irish soldiers, several of whom have spoken on condition of anonymity to the Irish Independent.

In a statement issued last night, Unifil said that it was "deeply concerned by recent activities by the IDF immediately adjacent to the mission's position 6-52, southeast of Maroun El-Ras (Sector West), inside Lebanese territory.

"The IDF has been repeatedly informed of this ongoing situation through regular channels.

"This is an extremely dangerous development. It is unacceptable to compromise the safety of UN peacekeepers carrying out their Security Council-mandated tasks."

The mother of one Irish soldier last night implored Taoiseach Simon Harris to order the evacuation of Irish troops from the region. Mr Harris told reporters yesterday there were no plans to withdraw them. He said he wanted to assure the Irish public, and particularly the families of soldiers, that the Government was watching the situation closely.

However, the mother said: "The Government can withdraw them. They are locked down and virtually powerless in the middle of a war zone.

"They (the Irish Government) don't seem to have a plan. What are they going to do with our children? There are teenagers out at that outpost. Something needs to be done for them."

The wife of another soldier said she felt her husband was not telling her the full story.

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"I know by the tone of his voice he is holding back, which is terrifying", she said. "They ring and say they are OK and the army are taking precautions.

"But I know by the tone of his voice. I know him well and he is guarding what he is saying to me."

A source with knowledge of the conditions said morale was "relatively good considering" among the Irish troops.

On Friday, the IDF directed Ireland to remove its troops from the outpost but the request was denied.

President Michael D Higgins described the "threat" to a peacekeeping force as "outrageous".

Tánaiste Micheál Martin also voiced his concern, saying in recent days the IDF had breached the Blue Line in several areas, including at the Irish battalion posts.

"This is an unacceptable violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701," Mr Martin said.

"There is an obligation on Israel and Hezbollah to respect the role of UN peacekeepers, their mandate, and do nothing that would put peacekeepers and our troops in particular in harm's way."

Yesterday, the Taoiseach said the safety of Irish peacekeeping troops in Lebanon was under constant review.

'Our peacekeepers are doing a great service, and I want to thank them for their bravery'

"I'm receiving updates on a very regular basis, several times a day," he said.

"Our peacekeepers are doing a great service, and I want to thank them for their bravery, their commitment and their determination to their task, and the advice from the UN is that it is safe for the mission to proceed.

"But of course, that's not to suggest that the situation is not dangerous. Of course, it is extremely dangerous. We're continuing to monitor this... The safety of UN peacekeepers is absolutely paramount," he added.

Last night, the Defence Forces confirmed all "personnel are all accounted for and well".

"They remain vigilant and in regular contact to update Unifil and Defence Forces HQs on the ongoing situation. They are focused on and are committed to continuing to uphold the Unifil mandate."