Irish peacekeepers 'safe and accounted for' as Israel drops grenades near Unifil troops in Lebanon 

Irish troops on Parade at Camp Shamrock near the border with Lebanon and Israel. File picture

All Irish Defence Forces personnel are "safe and accounted for" after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) dropped grenades near UN peacekeepers and Lebanese soldiers on Thursday.

In a statement on Friday, Unifil said the IDF had dropped grenades near peacekeepers "working alongside Lebanese soldiers to provide security for civilian workers in Maroun ar-Ras". 

The workers were clearing the ruins of homes destroyed by the Israeli-Lebanese conflict.

Unifil said peacekeepers at two different locations heard grenades explode near an excavator around 500m away from them at 11.30am on Thursday.

"Moments later, the first group saw a drone fly overhead and witnessed an explosion about 30-40m away," a Unifil spokesperson said.

"About 20 minutes after that, the second group saw another drone drop a grenade that exploded just 20 metres over their heads."

Unifil says it had informed the IDF about its presence in the area in advance. 

No injuries were reported and Unifil's work in Maroun ar-Ras was later able to continue.

"Attacks on peacekeepers or interference with their mandated tasks shows disregard for the safety and security of Unifil peacekeepers and the Lebanese army, and the stability they are working to restore in south Lebanon," the Unifil spokesperson added.

"Such actions also constitute a serious violation of Security Council resolution 1701. 

"We call on the IDF to cease attacks on or near peacekeepers, civilians, and Lebanese soldiers and allow us to carry out our mandated tasks without obstruction."

On Friday evening, the Irish Defence Forces confirmed that all its personnel deployed to Lebanon as part of the 126 Infantry Battalion were safe and accounted for. Echoing Unifil's statement on the matter, it added that all necessary force protection measures "continue to be observed".