IRELAND IS TO ask EU countries to support a new Irish army training mission for the Lebanese Armed Forces in the wake of the UN vote to end the peacekeeping mission.

Tanaiste Simon Harris, who is Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, will today propose the new initiative to support Southern Lebanon.

This could see EU countries work together in the coming months to train, equip and build up the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

Yesterday the United Nations Security Council voted to end the Unifil peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The mission’s mandate has been extended to December 2026 but the vote also confirmed a phased withdrawal from the country during 2027. 

Irish soldiers are among 10,000 troops from an international force stationed, generally, in the south of the country.

The model being tabled by the Tánaiste has worked effectively in relation to Ukraine and Bosnia. There has also been training of Maltese forces in the past. 

The Ukrainian mission involves Irish soldiers training Ukrainian troops at a location in Europe in combat drills, battlefield medicine skills and bomb disposal and search tactics. 

The Irish have also participated in a European Union-backed training mission in the African country of Mali.

Security sources have said that one key shortcoming for the LAF is in the area of Explosive Ordnance Disposal – which is a key skill of the Irish Defence Forces. A number of Lebanese soldiers have been injured and killed while attempting to deal with Hezbollah and Israeli munitions. 

If this morning’s proposal by Harris gets the green light from his EU colleagues, it could see Irish Defence Force personnel and other EU countries providing training and support to the LAF in order to build up its expertise and capacity.

During discussions in Copenhagen with fellow Defence Ministers later today, the Tánaiste will cite the EU Military Assistance Mission in Ukraine (EUMAM) as the model that could be applied in Southern Lebanon.

“Our Defence Forces participate in such missions in Bosnia, in the Mediterranean and in EUMAM Ukraine, and we take particular pride in that mission as an expression of concrete EU support for Ukraine and its Armed Forces.

“Given the adoption of the last UNIFIL mandate yesterday by the UNSC, with the end of operations by December 2026 and a wind down/withdrawal in 2027, I would like to raise the possibility of a future discussion and consideration of such a mission in South Lebanon.

“What I am thinking here is adapting the excellent model of EUMAM to support and train the Lebanese Armed Forces,” he said. 

The Tánaiste noted that 47 Irish soldiers have been killed in service in Lebanon and said that he is left with “heavy heart” by the decision of the UN Security Council for the wind-down of Unifil.

“This is a mission that Ireland has been involved in for many, many decades, so many thousands of people from Ireland have served in Lebanon with distinction, and indeed, 47 Irish soldiers lost their lives for the cause of peace in Lebanon.

“I think it’s really important that the time that now exists, between now and the end of 2027, is used well in terms of supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces. I certainly intend to discuss with colleagues here today how the European Union can consider using our mechanisms in terms of providing training and support for the Lebanese Armed Forces,” he added. 

Israel is continuing incursions into Lebanese airspace. It also occupies parts of South Lebanon close to the Irish peacekeeping bases. 

The LAF has announced that two soldiers were killed yesterday after an Israeli drone that had crashed in the country’s south exploded, the latest deadly incident for Lebanese troops near the Israeli border.

Six LAF soldiers were previously killed when trying to empty a Hezbollah arms dump.