UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have said their mission will continue, despite the upsurge in violence.
UNIFIL was first deployed in 1978 after Israel invaded southern Lebanon. There are currently more than 10,000 soldiers from 50 different countries, including 379 from Ireland.
UNIFIL's spokesperson Andrea Tenetti said the IDF had informed them of its intention to start what it described as 'limited incursions' inside Lebanese territories.
"To move from some of our positions was also a request but we decided, and it was also discussed with New York, to stay in all positions," Mr Tenetti told RTÉ's News at One.
"That is a decision that was made considering all the elements, including the safety and security of our peacekeepers, and also the population.
"It's important at the moment to be on the ground and to be able to monitor, as limited as we are, the situation and to try to de-escalate the tension.
"We are still working and trying to keep a channel of communications. It's also the responsibility of the parties to ensure the security of our troops.
"We are not the target. We are here to try and bring back stability to this region."
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Mr Tenetti described the situation on the ground as concerning and said safety was a priority for all troops.
He said that if the situation reaches a point where it would be impossible for the mission to safely operate then the Security Council in New York would decide what to do and how to move forward.
He said there was a need from the whole international community to try to find a viable solution to the conflict, which he said had the potential to become more of a regional conflict than just between Hezbollah and Israel.
He said the solution was the full implementation of Resolution 1701.
"The same resolution that has been able to stop the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. The elements of this resolution are still valid," Mr Tenetti said.
"The resolution has been heavily challenged and has not been implemented but if there is a serious commitment to implement this resolution by both sides, that could be the solution to this conflict.
"But there is still a lot of discussion to try to find an agreement between the parties."
Israel's military told residents of more than 20 towns in south Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately yesterday as it pressed on with its cross-border incursion and struck Hezbollah targets in a suburb of Beirut.
