With two Indonesian peacekeepers killed this week as Israel continues its military assault on Lebanon, the situation facing Irish peacekeepers serving with the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Unifil, is increasingly perilous. There has been what Taoiseach Micheál Martin described as a “shocking escalation of violence that has injured a number of peacekeepers in recent days”.

With little peace left to keep, is it time for the Irish Government to withdraw our Defence Forces?

Responding to Martin on X, former defence minister Alan Shatter called this week for the withdrawal of Irish Unifil troops, along with peacekeepers from other states, saying: “Nothing beneficial can be achieved by their remaining in harm’s way.”

A withdrawal wouldn’t be unprecedented: Irish forces have previously been withdrawn from UN missions in the Golan Heights (Syria), Mali, East Timor, Congo, Somalia and Liberia when mandates concluded or changed.

Trump hints at ‘quick’ exit from Iran but US could return for ‘spot hits’

My daughter has Ireland’s most popular name, but I decided on it 30 years ago

‘EVs have been sold in Ireland as vehicles that need no maintenance – and people believe that’

Simon Harris outlines more details on new savings scheme to encourage Irish households to invest

Over the last month, Israel has resumed military attacks on Southern Lebanon, with the aim of ousting Hizbullah militants, leading to sporadic missile attacks in the besieged region. The carefully patrolled blue line – a 120km boundary between Israel and Lebanon established in 2000 as a line of withdrawal following the retreat of Israeli forces from........

© The Irish Times