Safety of Irish troops in the Middle East a source of "real concern," says Minister

The safety of Irish troops serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon and Syria is of great concern, according to Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Peter Burke — who will be raising the issue with the Taoiseach today at a meeting of the EU Council.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was also working with Israeli authorities and other leaders in the region, regarding the safe evacuation of Irish passport holders from Gaza. Speaking to RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Burke said:

“I think it's very important that we do get a humanitarian corridor, there is a number of vulnerable citizens in one region. And when you consider the Gaza Strip is an area not much bigger than Dublin and its suburbs, it's a huge, huge concern that it could be a catastrophic event happening in terms of so many vulnerable people.”

Ireland hopes to work alongside the EU in order to ensure humanitarian corridors are achieved and the distribution of "key supplies like the Red Cross and like clean water, electricity, all those important utilities are so critical to get into the region.”

“We've asked everyone in the region to register, which is very important, but we are aware that this is a very difficult circumstances," Burke continued. And obviously we will be working with other EU leaders because there are many EU citizens who are in Gaza, and it's important to collectively work together to use our power to try and achieve those humanitarian corridors because they are going to be of critical importance in the weeks ahead.

“It's a region where we have a huge presence in terms of our missions to really try and stabilise and do what the Irish state does best, be a voice for peace and de-escalation."

There are currently 342 Irish troops serving with Unifil in Lebanon. Eight of those troops are based in the UN headquarters in Naqoura, near the Israeli border, as part of a peacekeeping force.

"We really have their safety to the very forefront of our minds, and that would be key with the Israeli authorities to ensure that their safety is not compromised. And we will be raising that very strongly at the EU Council.”

Asked about recent sentiments expressed by Michael D. Higgins regarding Ursula Von Der Leyen's comments on the Middle East conflict which she made on a visit to Israel last Friday; Burke refrained from commentary, instead drawing attention to his experience and outspokenness as President.

President Michael D. Higgins during a visit to the FINIRISH BATT HQ in South Lebanon.

"It was important to work through diplomacy, to work to find solutions to protect the most vulnerable people in the region. That would be the focus in the hours ahead at the EU Council meeting."

“In terms of the orders by the Israeli authorities," Burke explained, "telling civilians to move to a very densely populated part of a war torn region, that is totally irresponsible.

"What had happened at the Supernova concert was horrific, but it was important to distinguish between Hamas and Palestinian civilians in the region," he said.

"While Israel’s right to defend itself had to be acknowledged, they also had to abide by humanitarian law and the rules of war, to ensure that civilians were not collateral damage."

“And that's what Ireland is really good at. We're really good at getting aid into the region. We want to get those humanitarian lines open and support those citizens who are very vulnerable right now," Burke concluded.