As the conflict in Lebanon intensifies, Irish peacekeepers find themselves in the crossfire of two combatants. Amid this turmoil, an online struggle for narrative and emotion is unfolding, raising widespread concerns about the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation.
The UN mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, has issued warnings about the dissemination of false information and its potential impact on peacekeepers on the ground.
Families back home are eager for updates regarding the safety of their loved ones. However, independent journalists have faced challenges accessing the southern Lebanon region where Irish peacekeepers are stationed, complicating efforts to obtain accurate information.
Alongside traditional journalistic approaches that involve cultivating and interviewing sources, new methods such as monitoring online reports and verifying multimedia content have emerged, allowing for a clearer understanding of events occurring specifically in the Irish UNIFIL Area of Responsibility.
While this does not provide a comprehensive view of the ongoing military activities within the Irish sector, it highlights the scale of confrontations that can be documented.
Efforts have been made to map strikes and attacks to ascertain their proximity to the positions of Irish peacekeepers. Additionally, any available visual evidence from the field has been scrutinized for clues regarding the presence of fighters and troops.
In many instances, incidents can be accurately identified through statements, footage, or images released by either side of the conflict, and compared with commercially available satellite imagery.
How this is accomplished: Monitoring & Verification
While Hezbollah frequently specifies particular villages in their communications regarding attacks or clashes, the IDF typically refers to the region as “southern Lebanon.”
However, the IDF often identifies specific brigades or units. By tracking Hezbollah communications for location references and correlating IDF updates and released material for insignias, units, and symbols, a clearer picture of the activity and which IDF units are operational within the Irish zone has been formed.
Read more: The Irish UNIFIL Zone: What we know about recent clashes
When combined with monitoring local and regional media for mentions of specific locales, and implementing alerts for certain terms in Arabic or Hebrew, a better understanding of the extent of incursions and ground fighting within the Irish UNIFIL zone can be achieved.
The IDF releases visual and photographic content from Lebanon multiple times a day. Numerous images have emerged from “southern Lebanon,” subsequently confirmed through visual analysis to have been captured within the Irish UNIFIL zone.
For instance, on 9 October the IDF shared drone footage via Telegram, capturing an individual identified as a Hezbollah fighter maneuvering along a street adjacent to tree lines. This was followed by an airstrike on a structure, with the IDF reporting that the individual had been neutralized.
WATCH: Footage uploaded by Israel Defence Forces to Telegram on 9 October
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(Note: This footage is published in the same form and duration as released by the IDF)
The IDF did not specify the exact location of the strike, but indicated involvement from the Golani Brigade, which is known to operate in the Irish UNIFIL area.
At that time, based on prior disclosures from the IDF and Hezbollah, it was known that the Golani Brigade was active near Maroun El-Ras, the town closest to the Irish UNIFIL outpost 6-52.
The footage depicted a pyramid-shaped monument alongside a building with a uniquely shaped roof edge.
RTÉ mark up for a freeze from the IDF footage
By analyzing satellite imagery of Maroun El-Ras to identify locations and buildings that matched those characteristics, the specific site of the footage was determined and where the strike occurred.
This confirmed there had been recent IDF engagements on the northern perimeter of the town, approximately 1.5km from Irish peacekeepers.
When combined with other verified engagements, it suggested that fighting had been advancing northward at that time.
RTÉ mark up of Google satellite imagery (left) compared to IDF footage (right)
Similar methodologies can also be employed to clarify misinformation or disprove claims being circulated online concerning activities in the Irish UNIFIL zone.
#CampShamrock’ video circulated
Early last week, a video began circulating across social media channels. Initially appearing on TikTok, it was soon removed. Within hours, it garnered over 1.5 million views on X alone.
The original poster titled the video ‘#CampShamrock’, referring to the principal Irish UN base in Lebanon.
RTÉ is providing a version below with audio removed. In the original posting, individuals speaking with Irish accents could be distinctly heard in the background as airstrikes were observed in nearby areas.
WATCH: Footage social media users said was from inside Camp Shamrock, or UNP 6-52
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(RTÉ has muted and blurred the footage to avoid identification of individuals)
At the time the video was circulating, 30 Irish peacekeepers were stationed at outpost 6-52 along the blue line dividing Israel and southern Lebanon.
Israeli tanks and other units were firing from mere meters away toward Hezbollah positions. The proximity of IDF forces to Irish UN troops became a significant topic in international news.
TV and radio programs frequently discussed whether Ireland should persist with its UNIFIL mission, and military families in Ireland increasingly voiced concerns over the safety of their loved ones amidst the conflict.
Read more: Satellite image shows IDF was based meters from Irish UN post
Despite this, users on X with large followings began re-sharing the video, frequently utilizing it to advance their political or ideological agendas and highlight Irish-Israeli tensions.
“Irish Soldiers who refused to retreat from their positions in Southern Lebanon watch as Israeli strikes grow closer,” one user suggested.
Another reposted it, depicting it as proof that “UN Irish peacekeepers [were] refusing to abandon their post following Israeli threats.”
A third claimed it depicted “bombs dropped on surrounding neighborhoods – the Irish peacekeeping area – in South Lebanon as the colonial project advances its invasion of the neighboring state.”
The video gained traction with Balkan and East Asian media outlets, which characterized it within narratives portraying Israeli troops as cowardly in the face of determined Irish peacekeepers.
However, a detailed analysis of the video’s content confirmed it was not filmed at Camp Shamrock or even within the Irish peacekeeping sector in southern Lebanon.
Moreover, it was established that the footage did not evidence an ‘Israeli invasion advance’ into southern Lebanon, as it was verified to have been recorded a week prior to the Israeli incursion.
Upon acquiring the footage, RTÉ compared satellite images of Camp Shamrock and found they did not correspond to the visual features observed in the video.
In an effort to determine the actual location of the video, RTÉ created a panorama from the provided footage and collaborated with specialists from international media establishments.
This panorama facilitated a cohesive view of notable features in the footage, including electrical posts, delineated parking spaces, a hut, and a concrete barrier. On the horizon, identifiable terrain shapes and a large white compound-style building were visible.
None of these characteristics matched any areas within or near Camp Shamrock or any other Irish posts.
The compiled image with several of the identifiable features labelled
Ultimately, Jake Godin, a researcher from the open-source investigative organization Bellingcat, downplayed the presence of Irish accents in the audio and focused on matching visual elements with other UN bases in Lebanon.
He successfully connected the video features with satellite imagery of UNP 9-1, a French-Finnish led UNIFIL post situated in the Malaysian UNIFIL area of operations.
Image compiled by Bellingcat’s Jake Godin matching the identifiable features with those visible in a satellite image
This process clarified the precise location of the video; however, it did not establish when it was recorded.
By reviewing an archive of nearly daily photographs taken around the French base from the commercial satellite imagery provider Planet Labs, Mr. Godin further validated that the footage depicted an air strike occurring between September 22 and 24. A building situated 950 meters from the French base in the specific line of sight of the camera had been destroyed within that timeframe.
The Israeli forces first breached the blue line into Lebanon on October 1.
Recent known activities within the Irish zone
Following the circulation of the video, the IDF troops withdrew from positions around the Irish outpost, alleviating concerns for many Irish families.
Current trends in the Irish zone indicate that Israeli forces have eased their advances northward. The units operating in the Irish area have been among the most forward-positioned Israeli troops since the military incursion, suggesting a new strategy that allows other units to keep pace before progressing any further.
Consequently, the frequency of engagements between Hezbollah and the IDF in the Irish zone has decreased.
Nevertheless, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson has urged any civilians still residing in additional towns around the Irish area, including those near Camp Shamrock, to evacuate.
For many analysts, this is a clear sign that the IDF intends to resume a northern offensive soon.
