If he or she assesses the threat is continuing, and the only option to protect his/her troops is to return fire, then that decision has to be taken, even if it is to destroy the tank in the process. Moreover, failure to defend your own troops under fire is a most serious dereliction of military duty and is a court martial offence, carrying, in some jurisdictions, the death penalty.

In mentioning this I am emphasising the seriousness of the situation Israel is facing by attacking Unifil troops, rather than the other way round. To attack Unifil troops is a crime against international law, and the countries of the contingents affected will pursue the perpetrators until hell freezes over.

The Irish government pursued Mahmoud Bazzi, who murdered two Irish Unifil soldiers, Pte Thomas Barrett and Pte Derek Smallhorne, in 1980, for 40 years before he was brought to justice in 2020.

Given what has happened on Thursday, amid further reports by the UN of Israeli forces firing at an observation post used by UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Friday and injuring two, we now need to consider if the UN Post 6-52 incident was, in fact, part of an IDF plan to force Unifil to leave?

Following a week when the spotlight of the current conflict in the Middle East switched from Gaza to Lebanon, a 20-vehicle IDF armoured unit took up position only 60m away from an Irish UN post 6-52, located along the Blue Line Lebanese border with Israel. 

The Irish troops, as per procedure, took cover in concrete-reinforced bunkers, leaving a minimum number topside to maintain observation. They were cut off but in constant radio contact with their unit. They were not under attack, and as far as we know, were not fired on by either belligerent. 

While, thankfully, no member was hurt, battalion medics will be watching for signs of PTSD resulting from the incident. The IDF unit was withdrawn after intervention by the Government and the UN Secretary General.

At a higher level, Unifil-IDF liaison channels should try to find out why the IDF unit took up position at the Irish post. Was it a tactical decision taken by a lower level commander or taken at a higher level with a more sinister objective?

The Defence Forces Press Office have always done their best to inform the Irish media about any incident affecting Irish troops overseas. Sometimes information may be withheld for obvious reasons, such as waiting for next-of-kin to be informed about personnel being killed or seriously wounded. 

In this day and age of instant communications, alarm can easily occur when incomplete information gets circulated.

Kneejerk over-reactions, intemperate accusations and calls for the Irish troops to be withdrawn were unhelpful to those negotiating a solution to the situation. They came from a few people who really should have known better and without regard for the possible consequences.

It is bad enough that the US leadership, afraid to make decisions that might lose votes in the coming presidential election, will not use its influence to bring the Israel bombardments to a halt. Do we really also want the Irish Government, faced with an upcoming election, to be panicked out of Unifil?

Peacekeeping operations will always have its dangers. In the early days of Unifil some Irish units came under fire, or were caught in crossfires, almost on a daily basis throughout the entire six-month tours of duty. When a country decides to offer troops for peacekeeping missions it accepts the possibility of taking casualties.

Daniel O’Connell once said Irish freedom was not worth a drop of blood. No doubt there are people out there who would believe participating in peacekeeping missions is not worth a drop of Irish blood. 

However, the Irish people have supported the Defence Forces and Garda Síochána participating in such missions. Peacekeeping missions have greatly helped contain regional conflicts from escalating into major wars. Without peacekeeping missions, the world would be a much more dangerous place.

Over the decades, Irish soldiers have built up a corporate knowledge and expertise in peacekeeping. Security of our personnel is always a top priority. There have been great improvements in providing protective equipment, increased firepower, armoured vehicles, medevac and training to support our overseas units. Their living locations have much better protection. Communications has improved enormously.

Our men and women serving in Lebanon are highly professional and motivated. They are not boy scouts or girl guides on a hiking trip, needing to be rescued when storm clouds appear.

Israeli intentions

The key question is what were Israeli intentions in taking up position beside UN posts? When Unifil was established in Southern Lebanon in 1978, the Israelis funded and armed Christian militias in the most southernly part, effectively their proxy army in Southern Lebanon. 

They used this militia, led by the renegade Lebanese Army Major Haddad, to destabilise the Unifil area of operations. The Christians were responsible for most of the casualties suffered by the Irish contingents, in the early years of Unifil. 

At present, the IDF is concentrating on four main areas, the south with ground and air attacks, the Beirut area, the Bekaa Valley and crossing points to Syria further to the east. We don’t know Israeli intentions, but the latest news is that they have called for the civilian population to move away from the coastal areas, north of the Litani River.

The next phase of their incursion into Lebanon could be an amphibious landing on the coast, north of the Litani River. Such a move would threaten Hezbollah forces, south of the Litani, with being cut off. This in turn would bring about a Hezbollah withdrawal. 

If the objective of the Israeli attack is to get Hezbollah out of the south, this would appear to be the fastest option.

The Israeli Navy has only recently reacquired an amphibious landing capability. In June they took delivery from the US of the second of two 2,500 ton LSVs (Logistic Support Vessels), which are also large landing craft. The first was received last October. 

It is not known if both are fully operational, but its probable. Each can transport a tank company (15 tanks). They have also acquired four state-of-the-art corvettes over the past four years, which can protect the LSVs. They have a large helicopter lift capacity for combat infantry. 

In other words, they have a capability to mount an amphibious operation to outflank Hezbollah.

Whether they launch such an operation or not, in the light of IDF attacks on Unifil, the future of the peacekeeping force will have to be kept under review.

• Dorcha Lee is a retired army colonel and defence analyst.