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View all search resultsPeacekeepers under attack
The recent deaths of Indonesian Blue Helmets in Lebanon expose the lethal risks of the UNIFIL mission and demand a urgent reevaluation of Indonesia’s strategic role in a region increasingly shaped by Zionist aggression and shifting global alliances.
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United Nations peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) drive past a Lebanese army outpost on Friday in the area of Naqura in southern Lebanon. (AFP/Kawnat Haju)
T
he death of three Indonesian peacekeepers serving under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) constitutes a blatant violation of international law, as peacekeepers should never be targeted by any warring parties. We offer our highest honor and respect to the fallen soldiers and our deepest condolences to the bereaved families.
We condemn in the strongest terms the actions that led to the death of an Indonesian Blue Helmet in Adchit al-Qusayr on Sunday and another two in Bani Hayyan. Furthermore, we demand that the UN conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into these incidents.
While UNIFIL is still conducting its investigation, it is easy to hold Israel responsible for both incidents, despite its insistence that the area was an active combat zone against the Hezbollah resistance group. With its advanced technology, it is always simple for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) to identify and pick its targets.
This was not the first time Indonesia has been on the receiving end of such violations. In October 2024, Merkava tanks fired at an observation tower in Naqoura manned by Indonesian personnel, as well as a UNIFIL bunker in Ras Naqoura. On that occasion, two Indonesian personnel were injured.
Even if the UN is committed to investigating these latest incidents, their results might not be satisfactory to Indonesia. Israel’s ally the United States will likely do everything in its power to "pour cold water" on any form of punishment against Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime.
The IDF and its government has consistently shown a lack of respect for international law, as evidenced by the genocide in Gaza and unlawful activities in the West Bank by Jewish settlers under IDF protection. Prime Minister Netanyahu boasted during the Gaza war that the IDF is the most moral army; in fact, it has proven to be the most immoral.
Israel’s current operation in southern Lebanon is another illegal activity under international law, serving as a rerun of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Back then, the justification was attacks from Palestinian freedom fighters; now, it is the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Hezbollah, which was originally formed to repel the 1982 invasion, joined the fray by launching missiles into Israel following illegal and unprovoked attacks on Iran since Feb. 28.
