A U.N. military base in Lebanon where hundreds of Irish troops serve was hit by a rocket likely fired by Hezbollah terrorists at Israel, according to Ireland’s army.
No one was hurt and only light damage was caused by the Russian-made Katyusha rocket that on Wednesday night hit Camp Shamrock in Southern Lebanon, about three miles north of the border with Israel, Lt. Gen. Sean Clancy, the chief of staff for the Irish Defense Forces, told RTÉ, Ireland’s national public service broadcaster on Thursday.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris condemned the incident in a statement that did not identify Hezbollah, which controls the area, or other Lebanon-based terrorist groups.
“Thankfully, everyone is safe, but it is completely unacceptable that this happened. Peacekeepers are protected under international law and the onus is on all sides to ensure that protection. We continue to monitor the situation closely,” said Harris.
The incident illustrates why “we are pushing very strongly for a de-escalation in the region,” added Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin.
Dublin is one of Jerusalem’s most vociferous critics in the European Union. In May, it joined a handful of member states in recognizing a Palestinian state.
Last month, Irish President Michael D. Higgins accused Israel of threatening and trying to drive out U.N. troops in Lebanon, an allegation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejected.
“It is outrageous that the Israel Defense Forces have threatened this peacekeeping force and sought to have them evacuate the villages they are defending,” said Higgins in a statement.
Earlier this week, another rocket believed to have been launched by Hezbollah terrorists struck the Naqoura headquarters of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, lightly injuring some peacekeepers, UNIFIL said.
