The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, at the ceremony to decorate 17 members of the BRILIB XL contingent for their participation in the 'Free Hidalgo' operation in Lebanon
The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, has called for an "immediate" ceasefire in the midst of rising tensions between Israel and the Hezbollah militia, during a ceremony to decorate 17 members of the BRILIB XL contingent for their participation in the 'Free Hidalgo' operation in Lebanon in recent months.
At the ceremony, held at the facilities of the XI 'Extremadura' Brigade in Bótoa, Badajoz, Minister Robles recognised the contingent as "an example of courage, heroism and commitment to peace", and thanked them for their work with "will, prudence and a sense of responsibility".
"An immediate ceasefire is imperative. We hope that there will be a call to responsibility from the leaders in the area", said Robles, who assured that as long as the United Nations remains committed to peace in Lebanon, the Spanish armed forces will continue there, as they have been doing since 2006.
The ceremony began with a reading of a few words by the head of the XI 'Extremadura' Brigade, Brigadier General Pablo Gómez Lera, who also referred to the difficult moments that the Spanish soldiers had to face during the mission, with many hours spent in the bunkers.
The head of the Land Force, Lieutenant General Carlos Jesús Melero, also offered his congratulations to the soldiers recognised at today's ceremony, as well as to General Gómez Lera, assuring them that the mission has been accomplished", and emphasised the "exhaustive preparation" of the military personnel, whatever the mission assigned to them may be. Two members were awarded the Cross of Military Merit with Blue Distinctive.
Meeting with Ukrainian soldiers
The 'Extremadura' XI brigade was designated as the base generating unit of the BRILIB XL contingent and its personnel led the Multinational Brigade East in Lebanon, within the framework of the United Nations (UNIFIL) mission in the south of the country, from 24 November 2023 until 24 May this year.
During that period, the brigade provided around 500 men and women, whose duties included patrolling to monitor the line of separation between Lebanon and Israel, working in a security environment complicated by increased instability in the area due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which began in October 2023.
During the visit, Minister Robles also held a meeting with 29 Ukrainian fighters who are receiving a vehicle maintenance training module, and reiterated the "firm commitment" to Ukraine. More than 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers have already received training in Spain.
The Minister for Defence also met with the relatives of 1st Sergeant Débora Grau, who died in May 2021 in an accident during a tactical exercise. The sergeant was from Badajoz.
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