Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we all know, the situation in the Middle East is desperate. It has to be of the utmost concern to all of us. We have witnessed horrific scenes in Gaza, Lebanon and elsewhere. Unfortunately, the Israel Defense Forces again breached the blue line, including the Irish-Polish battalion area of operations. The situation is obviously very tense. I know the Tánaiste continues to monitor the situation closely with our partners in the UN. It is very important, in reassuring us as a country, that there is reassurance for the families who have members serving our country in those UNIFIL operations. We must ensure that those families are kept up to date with all developments and that their family members will remain safe.

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