Maltese Soldiers In Lebanon For Peace-Keeping Operations
Members of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) are currently deployed in Lebanon for a six-month peace-keeping operation.
One Officer and eight Senior and Junior Non-Commissioned Officers are currently embedded with the 124th Infantry Battalion in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (INFIL).
The AFM is closely monitoring the situation and is in direct contact with the Irish Defence Forces. Although the situation is volatile, all Maltese soldiers are safe.
The role of these personnel remains fundamentally related to peace-keeping and not related to any sort of fighting or participation in a battlefield.
The conflict between paramilitary group Hezbollah and Israel has recently escalated, with Lebanon experiencing its deadliest day since the end of the country’s civil war in 1990. On Monday alone, at least 558 people were killed.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel intensified after 7th October, with the Lebanese group vowing to continue its military operation as long as Israel is at war with Gaza. However, Monday marked a serious escalation in the tension, growing global concerns of an all-out war in the region.
Since last October around 500,000 people have been displaced from south Lebanon while 63,000 residents of north Israel have also been pushed out of their homes as a result of the fighting.
Do you think there is a potential end in sight to the conflict?
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