Irish Army takes shelter in Lebanon amid shelling as fear of Hizbullah ‘second front’ grows

Irish troops serving in Lebanon have been forced to take cover for a second time this week as a result of ongoing rocket fire into Israel.

The 342 soldiers of the Defence Forces’ 122nd Infantry Battalion took shelter in fortified positions due to overhead fire originating in Lebanon.

It comes amid rising fears the Lebanese militant group Hizbullah will attempt to open a second front against Israel in support of Hamas if Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched ground invasion of Gaza as is widely expected.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday issued a travel alert strongly advising against all travel to Lebanon.

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“In light of the unpredictability of the situation, events could escalate with very little warning,” the alert said. “This could affect exit routes out of Lebanon.”

Citizens were asked to register with the Embassy in Cairo, ensure their documentation is up to date and avoid all gatherings and demonstrations if remaining in the country.

Israel has been bombing Gaza since last weekend after Hamas launched a series of deadly raids from the Palestinian city into Israeli territory which killed more than 1,200.

The death toll from Israeli air strikes stands at around 1,500, including more than 500 children. Israel has warned 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate in advance of further military action, raising concerns about a humanitratian disaster.

The Irish troops in Lebanon entered “groundhog” positions on Friday due to fire originating from Lebanon into Israel. Such actions typically draw artillery fire from the in response.

The soldiers remain in shelter as of late Friday afternoon, sources said. There have been no reports of any injuries. A small number of Maltese troops are also serving with the Irish contingent.

The Irish soldiers are responsible for manning a critical section in south Lebanon on the “Blue Line”, which separates the two countries.

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In recent days, militants have been observed firing rockets into Israel from the area. There have also been reports of gunfights between Hizbullah and the IDF.

The UN has insisted Unifil troops remain in position and committed to their peacekeeping tasks, despite online claims they had withdrawn from the area.

Fears of Hizbullah, which is backed by Iran, launching a full-scale attack have increased following a meeting between the group’s chief Hassan Nassrallah and Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Lebanon.

“The continuation of war crimes against Palestine and Gaza will receive a response from the rest of the axis,” the Iranian minister said.

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Artillery exchanges have killed three members of Hizbullah in recent days. On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had also deployed tens of thousands of units to the Lebanese border area.

“The message to Hizbullah [from Israel] is very clear,” Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces, said on Wednesday. “If they will try to attack, we are ready and we are vigilant along our border.”