The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, is to hold talks with parties in Israel, Lebanon, Gaza and Egypt during a trip to the Middle East this week.
The Gaza leg of Mr Ahern's visit remains under review this weekend after an escalation in violence in the region. A spokesman said: "We are currently taking advice on the security situation on the ground in Gaza.
As of now the minister still hopes to travel to Gaza where he has lined up a series of important meetings regarding the Middle East peace process. However, ultimately he will take the advice of those on the ground.
"Other legs of his Middle East visit will be going ahead, including a visit to Cairo and Beirut as well as high level talks with his Israeli counterpart." Mr Ahern's provisional itinerary includes meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and senior UN military personnel in Gaza on Thursday.
Mr Ahern will meet families of captured Israeli soldiers during the four-day visit.
He is also due to hold a working lunch with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem. Meetings are also scheduled with Defence Minister Amir Peretz and Meretz party leader Yossi Beilin.
In Egypt on Thursday, Mr Ahern will hold talks in Cairo with Minister for Trade and Industry, Rashid Mohamed Rashid on the development of bilateral economic relations between Ireland and Egypt.
The Darfur conflict in Sudan is one of the issues on the agenda for a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Travelling onto Beirut on Friday, Mr Ahern is due to meet with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and visit the Irish Unifil contingent drawn from the 34th Infantry Group, at Camp Ida.
Mr Ahern will be the first Government minister to meet the new contingent of 150 Irish Unifil troops who arrived at camp Ida in the Autumn.