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LAST UPDATE | 25 Aug
IRISH PEACEKEEPERS WILL have to wait until later this week to find out the future of their Lebanon peace mission as a crucial UN vote, scheduled for today, has been delayed.
The vote for the renewal of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate, a 47-year-old multinational peacekeeping effort, was due to happen in the United Nations Security Council today.
Thousands have died in invasions and civil wars and other skirmishes since the mission started in 1978. Forty-seven Irish troops have also lost their lives on Unifil peacekeeping deployments.
The United Nations Security Council, which includes the US, Britain, France, China and Russia, will decide on whether to renew the mandate that places Irish troops and more than 9,500 other soldiers from across the globe in Lebanon.
The permanent members have a power of veto, and all eyes will be on how the US will vote.
It’s likely the mandate will be renewed, following negotiations led by France, but it was expected the US may use today’s meeting as an opportunity to say that this is the last time they will vote for such an extension.
That means the ultimate question of Unifil’s future is kicked down the road. The US has indicated it will only vote in favour of renewal on the basis that Unifil ends in August 2026. One source said the US’s rationale is to facilitate the phased withdrawal of troops.
A diplomatic source said representatives from the other member states serving in Lebanon – led by French diplomats and Government officials – have been trying to stop a withdrawal in 2026 with further talks. This is likely to be the subject of bilateral meetings between states in New York this week and in the coming weeks.
Irish diplomats and Tánaiste Simon Harris has been engaged in discussions with other Unifil countries and with members of the UN Security Council.
What has emerged this afternoon is that the vote has been delayed as the French attempt to avoid a withdrawal.
In the latest draft text, the Council would signal “its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL with the aim of making the Lebanese Government the sole provider of security in southern Lebanon.”
Under a truce that ended a recent war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, Beirut’s army has been deploying in south Lebanon and dismantling the militant group’s infrastructure there.
The resolution would extend until August 31, 2026 the mandate of the 10,800-strong force which includes Irish, Polish, Indonesian, Indian, Italian, Ghanaian, French, Nepalese and other States.
It was not clear if Washington, which wields a veto on the Security Council, would accept the compromise language.
The text also contained language “condemning the incidents that affected United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon premises and forces, injuring several peacekeepers”. This is in reference to strikes by US ally Israel on UNIFIL positions that have caused injuries and damage. Israel was not specifically named.
UNIFIL patrols and maintains a demarcation zone known as the Blue Line. Established in 2006 it is not an international frontier but a contested withdrawal line drawn in the wake of an Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
The Irish and their counterparts act as observers and responders to the occasional outbreak of violence and other incidents. Despite the most recent ceasefire agreement, Israel continues to launch air strikes on alleged Hezbollah fighters.
Meanwhile, sources in Lebanon have said that another militant group, Amal, is increasing in strength.
While the fragile Lebanese government in Beirut is struggling to function, Hezbollah runs an almost mirror state in the south, providing health services and other functions.
Instability in the context of conflicts across the Middle East, most notably Israel’s war on Gaza, as well as multi-front Israeli operations in Lebanon, Syria and Iran are making the renewal more complicated.
The US, a close ally of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israeli government, has been setting the conditions for an end to Unifil.
Part of official Israel wants Unifil gone from south Lebanon, with many informed observers stating that the motive is to facilitate a deeper Israeli incursion north to ensure rockets stop falling on Israeli cities.
The mandate for Unifil’s mission is to assist the Lebanese army in ensuring that there are no armed groups in the south.
That has failed, given the volume of activity by Hezbollah in the area. However, on multiple visits to Lebanon, The Journal has seen the positive impact of the UN mission on the local population.
Israel and the US allege that Unifil has not done enough to assist the Lebanese army in dismantling Hezbollah in the area.
The latest conflagration between Hezbollah and Israel began in earnest with an invasion by Israel in October 2024.
In recent months, Tom Barrack, who is the Trump appointed US ambassador to Turkey, has been in Lebanon and Israel for meetings.
He had previously travelled to assess the effectiveness or not of the Unifil mission.
It is understood the US told the Lebanese they needed to disarm Hezbollah by the new year: a mammoth task. Many in security circles believe Hezbollah is stronger than the Lebanese Armed Forces, albeit its strength has been diminished by Israeli bombing.
Last week, Barrack took a different tack after meeting Lebanese President President Joseph Aoun, calling on Israel to meet its undertakings in ceasefire agreements. Israel has failed to withdraw all its troops.
Behind the scenes there is still extensive lobbying ongoing by Israel to have the US, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, end its support for the mission.
Irish Lieutenant Colonel Conor King of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers said last week that Unifil is a key assistance to retaining troops in the Irish Defence Forces and attracting new soldiers.
Overseas service contributes to career progression and boosts morale and motivation, he said.
“The opportunity to contribute to international efforts to maintain peace and security provides DF personnel with a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment, which can be a key factor in retaining personnel.
“Members have been clear, however that one of the barriers to overseas participation is the remuneration, which has not kept pace with inflation or cost of living increases, and no longer compensates for the additional burdens of family separation, and additional costs such as childcare.
“This must be addressed by government if the Defence Forces is to ensure that overseas deployments continue to be attractive, and consequently staffed,” he added.
With additional reporting from AFP.
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