Israeli ground forces have been engaged in confrontations with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, an area under the peacekeeping oversight of Irish troops.
This morning, Arabic-language media reported that sources from Hezbollah indicated they were involved in skirmishes with Israeli forces “that have infiltrated the town of Maroun El-Ras.”
The town is situated along the blue line, the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon, and is located roughly 5km from the main Irish base in Lebanon, Camp Shamrock.
Irish Defence Forces sources confirmed to Prime Time that Israeli soldiers crossed the blue line into southern Lebanon in the last few hours, coming within sight of an outpost operated by Irish troops, and that exchanges of fire occurred in the town.
Maroun El-Ras was the location of a pivotal battle between Israeli forces and Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanon war. It is positioned on a high point that overlooks Bint Jbeil, the largest town in the Irish UNIFIL area, located beyond Camp Shamrock.
In the lead-up to the reported clashes, the Israeli military expanded a ‘closed military zone’ to several towns on the Israeli side of the blue line, strictly prohibiting entry into the area.
This action followed a notice from the IDF’s Arabic language spokesperson on Tuesday, urging residents of specific towns and villages along the border to “evacuate your homes immediately.” Several of the identified towns are near Maroun El-Ras and fall within the Irish UNIFIL zone.
Recently, rising tensions and increased rocket fire and military operations have significantly constrained the patrol activities of UNIFIL troops throughout the blue line. At least five strikes have been confirmed in towns within the Irish UNIFIL area.
This situation has resulted in Irish soldiers remaining primarily within the base and outposts, refraining from undertaking observation patrols or other activities.
Regarding the reports of clashes in Maroun El-Ras, an Irish Defence Forces spokesperson stated, “all force protection measures are in place, and mitigation strategies are being implemented; our personnel are well-trained and experienced, and capable of managing an escalation in volatility.”
