Austria's first UN commander: Brave use in Lebanon!

Austria's first UN commander: Brave use in Lebanon!

Libanon, Libanon - On May 2, 2025, a historic moment is celebrated in Austrian military history. Lieutenant Colonel Maria Eder from Wels is the first woman to run the Austrian blue helmet quota in Lebanon. A total of 15 women and 155 men from Austria are abroad to ensure the ceasefire and stabilize the security situation in the region. Eder reports that her team often has to hear battle noise and air raids near the camp. Even during desk work, the helmet and protective vest are at hand, since floors have already hit the camp from both parties to the conflict.

The security situation remains tense. With 15 soldiers, Austria occupies the highest proportion of women at the Unifil mission, which has a total of 170 people. Defense Minister Tanner expresses concerns about the safety of the UN troops after there were injuries among the Austrian soldiers through Israeli attacks on the UN force. It calls on all parties to the conflict to prioritize the protection of the UN force and describes the situation as "new normality" in which the camp often has to be lingered.

challenges of the unifil mission

The mandate of the Unifil, which was expanded in 2006 by a UN-Resolution 1701, is according to Tagesschau to take over over the South Libanon. Despite the presence of almost 10,000 blue helmets that are allowed to use weapons exclusively for self -defense, the situation is challenging. The Hisbollah has expanded in the border area and is supported by means of Iran, which makes it considerably more difficult to carry out patrols.

At the site, the Austrian soldiers often have to take on additional tasks, since local and civilian employees cannot get to the camp due to the uncertain location. Major General Martin Dorfer reports that the Austrian Unifil quota has a "filled order book". In the event of incidents, these soldiers are the first at the scene and also take care of infrastructural issues, such as the Camp Fire Brigade.

international reactions and security situation

Israel's concern about the UN troops in Lebanon contributes to the tense situation. The country fears that the 10,000 blue helmets will be misused by the Hisbollah as human protective shields. Tanner, who is the Minister of Defense, found that there has been no improvement in the security situation in the area of application so far. The prioritization of the protection of the UN force she demanded is crucial for the further implementation of our mission.

The dynamic created between Israel and the Hisbollah has affected Unifil's credibility. Attacks on UN troops could be seen as war crimes, which triggered international discussions about possible sanctions against Israel or an expansion of the Unifil mandate. While the United States is against Israel -critical measures in the Security Council, Russia and China are skeptical about the robustness of the mandate.

In this complex environment, Lieutenant Colonel Maria Eder takes on a key role and shows that the Austrian military continues to fight for peace and stability in Lebanon despite the adversity.