Armed Forces of Malta officers participating in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have travelled to Ireland ahead of their return to Malta as the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon comes to an end in December this year.
The Maltese officers had been serving as part of the Irish-led UNIFIL contingent operating near the Israeli-Lebanese border at Camp Shamrock in Bint Jbeil, an area that has experienced repeated fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants over the past year, and heavy Israeli bombardment.
The future of the UNIFIL mission is uncertain but. European countries, including the European Union, have been pushing for the mission’s extension.
As previously discussed during the latest EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, European leaders are also considering the possibility of strengthening the European contribution within UNIFIL by deploying an EU-linked contingent to support the mission.
UNIFIL was originally established in 1978 and expanded after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Its mandate includes monitoring the ceasefire, supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces, assisting civilians and helping maintain humanitarian access and basic infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
However, the mission has increasingly found itself trapped between both sides of the conflict.
UNIFIL positions have repeatedly come under fire during clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah units, and both Israel and Hezbollah have deliberately targeted the mission ion multiple occasions. An Indonesian peacekeeper was killed this year by Israel. Also this year, a French peacekeeper was killed by Hezbollah.
Several UNIFIL peacekeepers have been injured or killed during the latest escalation cycle. Earlier this year, two peacekeepers died in separate incidents linked to the conflict zone, including one peacekeeper killed during an Israeli strike near a UNIFIL operational area.
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