The battalion commander in charge of Irish and Polish peacekeepers in south Lebanon has said his troops are preparing for an escalation of violence between Hezbollah militants and Israel.
However Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Mac Eoin said there is still hope of a ceasefire before the holy month of Ramadan, which begins on 10 March.
Since 7 October, Hezbollah has been firing rockets into northern Israel, in solidarity with Hamas which mounted a deadly attack killing 1,200 Israelis and foreigners.
A subsequent invasion of Gaza by Israel has claimed almost 30,000 lives.
The violence on the border between Lebanon and Israel has driven tens of thousands of people out of their homes in search of safety away from the region.
Israel has said it wants the 60,000 people displaced from the border area to return, and has threatened to take further military action Hezbollah to ensure the safe return of its citizens to their homes.
That has opened up the prospect of an all out war in the area close to the blue line, which is patrolled by the United Nations, including more than 330 Irish peacekeepers.
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Lt Col Mac Eoin said neither Hezbollah nor Israel have yet used their full military capabilities in the region, despite a significant increase in hostilities in recent weeks.
However, he said there is a potential for a further escalation, and Irish troops are preparing for that.
Asked if the UN would pull out of the region if there was a significant increase in hostilities, or an invasion, he said that decision would be made at a political level, but he believed it was unlikely there would be a withdrawal from the region.
"Certainly Ireland's commitment has been long standing, and there are no plans for Ireland to leave.
"In a scenario where the conflict were to escalate we have already prepared for such a scenario, our troops have been drilled, and we have contingency plans in place.
"The position we are in is well protected, we've got decent equipment and crucially the culture and training of the troops is where it needs to be," he said.
Lt Col Mac Eoin said that there was a potential for an escalation.
"We are certainly preparing for that, but then again we always prepare for the worst case scenario.
"What I can assure you of is we are staying here.
"There are tentative hopes that there may be a ceasefire in Gaza, and given we have seen the conflict along the blue line is linked to Gaza, our sincere hope for the people of south Lebanon and northern Israel is that there might be a knock on peace dividend for the blue line as a whole."
