Ireland calls Israeli demand to move UN troops 鈥榦utrageous鈥�

The president of Ireland on Saturday sharply criticised Israel's demand that UNIFIL peacekeepers leave their positions in southern Lebanon. (AFP/File)
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  • 鈥淚t is outrageous that the Israeli Defense Forces have threatened this peacekeeping force,鈥� President Michael Higgins said
  • 鈥淚ndeed, Israel is demanding that the entire UNIFIL operating under UN mandates walk away鈥�

DUBLIN: The president of Ireland on Saturday sharply criticized Israel鈥檚 demand that UN peacekeepers leave their positions in southern Lebanon.
鈥淚t is outrageous that the Israeli Defense Forces have threatened this peacekeeping force and sought to have them evacuate the villages they are defending,鈥� President Michael Higgins said in a statement.
鈥淚ndeed, Israel is demanding that the entire UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) operating under UN mandates walk away.鈥�
Ireland accounts for 347 of the 10,000 soldiers serving in the UNIFIL forces, which are charged with maintaining peace in the south of Lebanon.
Earlier Saturday, UNIFIL said it had rejected Israeli demands that it 鈥渞elocate鈥� some positions ahead of Israeli ground operations against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Higgins called the demand 鈥渁n insult to the most important global institution.鈥�
Fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has intensified since the start of ground incursions by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon earlier this week.
Some 1,110 people have died in Lebanon and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes because of the fighting.