After more than six months of missions in the Middle East, 150 soldiers and personnel of the 9th shift of the Polish Military Contingent in Lebanon have returned to the country. They landed at the airport in Wroclaw on November 1. Their stay was prolonged due to the difficult situation in the region.[1]

“I would like to thank you for your professionalism, dedication and worthy representation of our country.” – Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on social media, announcing the end of the rotation of the Polish Military Contingent UNIFIL in Lebanon.[2]

Polish Army soldiers participated in the mission in the Middle East as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) operations. The contingent’s main tasks included protecting civilians, observing the demarcation line, known as the “Blue Line” (the demarcation zone between Lebanon and Israel), and supporting the Lebanese government’s efforts to maintain peace and security.[3]

Due to the tense situation in the Middle East, the mission of the ninth shift of UNIFIL’s PMC has been extended by several weeks, originally scheduled to end after the end of September. According to Lt. Col. Jacek Goryszewski, spokesman for the Armed Forces Operations Command, in October the UNIFIL mission command decided to halt all troop rotations. The decision came as a result of the Israeli armed forces launching a ground operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.[4]

The rotation of troops succeeded in early November. At that time, the 10th change of the Polish Military Contingent UNIFIL began operations in Lebanon, with Lt. Col. Michal Fabiszewski assuming command.[5] Currently, the PMC consists mainly of soldiers from the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade, who replaced soldiers from the 17th Mechanized Brigade.[6]

The UNIFIL mission began in 1978 and was a UN response to the conflict between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, which was taking place on Lebanese territory. The UN force was supposed to ensure peace, stability in the region and create a buffer zone on the Israeli-Lebanese border. However, this action failed to avoid clashes in 1982-1985 and in 2006.[7]

The Polish Army first became involved in the UNIFIL mission in 1992. At that time, a medical company was sent to An-Nakura (a town in southern Lebanon) to replace doctors from Sweden and Norway. Two years later, the contingent was expanded to include a logistics component, serving until 2009. After a ten-year hiatus, Polish soldiers returned to Lebanon as a patrol force, carrying out their assigned mandate as part of the Irish-Polish Battalion (Irishpolbatt).[8] The unit also includes Hungarian forces, working with the Poles and Irish to monitor the Western Sector.[9]

Tekst powstał w ramach realizacji zadania publicznego zleconego w ramach Rządowego Programu Rozwoju Organizacji Obywatelskich na lata 2018–2030 r. „Bezpieczna Polska jutra – rozwój działań misyjnych Alioth Foundation”.

Bibliography:

[1] D. Skrzypiński Polsatnews.pl „Polscy żołnierze wracają do kraju z Libanu. Rotacja zakończona” [online]

[2] A. Zygiel Wiadomosci.wp.pl „Polska wycofuje całą rotację żołnierzy z Libanu. Poranny komunikat”[online]

[3] Wojsko Polskie, PKW LIiban [dostęp: 04.11.2024r.]

[4] Polska-zbrojna.pl „Zmiana warty w PKW Liban” [online]

[5] Wojsko Polskie, PKW UNIFIL [dostęp: 04.11.2024r.]

[6] Polska-zbrojna.pl „Zmiana warty w PKW Liban” [online]

[7] Defence24.pl „Szef MON: do kraju wracają żołnierze PKW Liban” [online]

[8] M. Zieliński Polska-zbrojna.pl „Cienka niebieska linia” [online]

[9] Wojsko Polskie, PKW LIiban [dostęp: 04.11.2024r.]