Powder keg Lebanon

Austrian UNIFIL soldiers are “protected in the camp”

Austria has been involved in the UN mission in Lebanon since 2011.

(Bild: Bundesheer)

Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (both ÖVP) exchanged views with the Austrian soldiers in Lebanon via video conference on Friday. The discussion focused on the security of the Austrian contingent.

Around 170 members of the Austrian Armed Forces are currently serving as part of the UN mission UNIFIL. They are stationed at Camp Naqoura around 110 kilometers south of the capital Beirut near Israel's border. 

"The most important thing is that our soldiers in Lebanon are doing well according to the situation," explained Tanner after the video conference, according to a statement from her office. "They are protected and cared for in the camp." The Austrian Armed Forces have "done important work in Lebanon over the past 13 years and will continue to remain on the ground in close consultation with international partners as a sign for the civilian population in the region", the Defense Minister emphasized.

Austrians serve along the "Blue Line"
Schallenberg described the situation in the Middle East as "tense to the breaking point". However, Austria is not just an observer in this volatile situation. "Our contingent is directly on the ground and is serving along the Blue Line," he said, referring to the Israeli-Lebanese demarcation line.

The safety of the UNIFIL soldiers has top priority and must be guaranteed from all sides, said the Foreign Minister. The Austrian embassy in Lebanon was in close contact with the Austrian UNIFIL contingent as well as the Austrians still in Lebanon.

Observer mission has been running for decades
UNIFIL has been in existence since 1978 and Austria has also been involved in the UN mission in Lebanon with a logistics contingent since 2011. The approximately 170 soldiers there are responsible for planning and carrying out transports. In total, around 10,000 soldiers from over 40 nations are involved in the mission.

Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon this week, the first in almost two decades. In 2006, four UN soldiers, including Austrian Major Hans Peter Lang, were killed during a similar Israeli offensive when an observation post in southern Lebanon was shelled.