Irish troops serving their peacekeeping missions in Lebanon are “accounted for and safe”, the Defence Forces has said.
Intense fighting has since erupted between the Israeli military and Hezbollah after Israel launched a ground invasion on Monday night.
Israel said it began what it called a “limited, localised” operation against Hezbollah targets and was carrying out “targeted ground raids” in villages close to the Israeli border.
The targets, it said, posed an “immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel”.
There are between 140 and 150 registered Irish citizens in Lebanon, along with Irish troops serving with Unifil.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, the Defence Forces confirmed its personnel were “accounted for and safe.”
“They remain vigilant and are maintaining force protection measures,” the spokesperson said.
“Defence Forces headquarters remain in regular contact with our personnel on the ground.”
Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Seán Clancy added while “the current circumstances are challenging, our personnel remain committed to their peacekeeping mission and are well trained to handle any increased volatility”.
“Following the events in Southern Lebanon last night and this morning, I want to reassure the families of our personnel deployed in the region that the safety of our troops is our utmost priority, and we appreciate the support from their families during this time,” Lt Gen Clancy said.
“We are in constant contact with them and are actively monitoring the situation on the ground,” he added.
Defence Minister Micheál Martin confirmed Irish troops were safe on Tuesday morning.
“[The incursion] is in a different area as to where our troops are located,” he said.
“The escalation heightens concerns, but they are safe. They’re professional soldiers. Unifil is doing everything it can at command level to make sure that the peacekeepers are protected in the context of the escalation.”
