Martin says Israel 'undermining' UN peacekeepers in Lebanon as EU ministers consider sanctions

LAST UPDATE | 31 mins ago

TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has accused Israel of “undermining” the United Nations and its peacekeeping force in Lebanon as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to demand that the organisation removes its troops.

European foreign affairs ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss global conflicts where the group will consider sanctioning Israel for its actions in Gaza. Later today, the UN Security Council will convene for an emergency session on fighting in Lebanon.

There has been five incidents within the last week where peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been injured. In all but one incident, the United Nations’ Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said Israel were the perpetrators.

International leaders yesterday condemned an incident where an Israeli tank “destroyed” UNIFIL’s HQ’s camp entrance before “forcibly” entering.

The battalion detailed that smoke – emitted from the tank – caused “skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions” for 15 peacekeepers, who are now receiving treatment for their injuries. No Irish peacekeeper has been injured as a result of any of the incidents.

At the top of the agenda of today’s meeting in Luxembourg is the war in Ukraine and the escalating violence in the Middle East. 

The meeting comes as Israel has escalated its actions in the Middle East after its military have invaded parts southern Lebanon in its offensive against Hezbollah.

Netanyahu has since demanded – on two occasions – that UNIFIL remove its troops from Lebanon as he claims Hezbollah is using the peacekeepers as human shields. The United Nations remains adamant that the force will continue to carry out its duties.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Council of the EU meeting, Martin said he will be voicing Ireland’s opinion that there can be no ‘equivocation, hesitation or relaxation’ in respect of UNIFIL’s mandate to carry out peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon.

The Tánaiste stressed that UNIFIL and the United Nations has a “rules-based order” when it comes it it’s peacekeeping operations in Lebanon and accused Netanyahu and the Israeli Government of attempting to “undermine” their mandates. 

“It is very, very concerning in terms of both the statement from the Prime Minister of Israel, but also the behavior and activity on the Blue Line and in respect of UN posts and across Lebanon,” he said.

Ministers are today expected to condemn the attacks by the Israeli military on UN peacekeepers at their meeting.

UNIFIL peacekeepers remain on the ground and are continuing their observations of breaches of international law today. The battalion requested that Israel explain their actions at its HQ yesterday.

In a statement, the Israeli military said its tank was retreating from an attack by Hezbollah nearby. It claimed the smoke was used to cover its position and said its actions were carried out in coordination with UNIFIL.

It denied claims by UNIFIL that its peacekeepers were in danger at the time of the incident. 

Martin recognised the position of the Israeli military – to retaliate against Hezbollah who have fired more than 10,000 rockets into Israel over the last year – and called on the militant group to stop the attacks.

He added: “The war must end. But if the war ends, the only the diplomatic pathway will entail the necessity of some UN peace contribution forces in Lebanon to maintain whatever peace emerges or whatever political agreement emerges post this particular conflict.

“But we cannot have an undermining and a chipping away of the status or the credibility or structures of the United Nations and particularly it’s peacekeeping forces.”

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High Representative Josep Borrell, the European Commissioner in charge of Foreign Policy, said today that all 27 EU member states have “agreed on asking Israel to stop attacking UNIFIL”.

He said that many European militaries and defence forces take part on the peacekeeping mission and added that it was “completely unacceptable” for Israel to carry out attacks on their positions.

Borrell reminded reporters that the UN Security Council are the only group who have the remit to order that peacekeepers in Lebanon retreat or pull out of Lebanon.

Sanctions on Israel over Gaza

The group of minister will today also reaffirm its support for UN aid groups in Palestine, such as UNRWA, and demand a ceasefire in the region.

Over the weekend, reports from Jabalia in northern Gaza said civilians were being forcibly displaced from their homes in the city during air raids and ground assaults on dwellings.

Yesterday, the Tánaiste and Taoiseach Simon Harris accused the Israeli government of committing “war crimes” in the city, as reports suggest humanitarian aid shipments of food and medicine have been blocked.

It was viewed as the strongest declaration of condemnation by the Irish Government of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian region since it’s military’s offence began last year.

The Tánaiste said the importance of keeping UNIFIL in Lebanon – as “eyes and ears on the ground” – is seen when compared to the situation in Gaza. “The world has really no full picture of what’s happening in Gaza,” Martin said.

“I’ve consistently called for either an EU or an international team to be allowed into Gaza to monitor what’s happening, and also the international media should be allowed into Gaza.

“And what’s happening in the most recent days in northern Gaza is quite shocking in terms of the mass expulsion of people from Northern Gaza and death and destruction of innocent people, and that is not acceptable or morally tolerable anymore,” he added.

Overnight, five children were killed by an Israeli drone strike on a school where displaced Palestinians were seeking refuge as the vast majority of the population have been forced to move from their homes as the Israeli military conduct its ground offensive.

At least 15 people were killed in the strike. Borrell said this morning: “In the West Bank and in Gaza, the humanitarian situation, the attacks against civilians, destruction of infrastructure, violence of [Israeli] settlers, increased in Jabilia.”

Hospitals in the centre of the country were also targeted by Israeli airstrikes.

Borrell added that the ministers will today discuss the conflict in Gaza in the context of sanctioning Israeli settlements and, possibly, two ministers from the Israeli Government.

He said that the matter – which the Tánaiste has voiced support for on a number of occasions – will be for the ministers to debate and decide later today. 

Ukraine

On Ukraine, the ministers will review sanctions on Russia and discuss windfall tax receipts which the EU has gained from the interest on assets inside the bloc that are Russian-owned.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha will join the discussion later today. He will discuss instances where Russia has disrupted the transportation of grain from Ukraine in recent weeks.

Elsewhere on the agenda, EU ministers will be addressed by the UK’s foreign minister David Lammy – the first address of its kind since Brexit. The British minister will jointly evaluate a number of key foreign security and defence issues with the group.

He told reporters this morning that he was looking forward for further discussions on EU-UK relations during today’s meeting. It is seen as a step towards developing a deeper relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU under the Starmer Government.

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