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Indonesia stands firmly with UNIFIL, says Foreign Ministry
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Vehicles from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in Marjayoun in southern Lebanon on Oct. 12. UNIFIL, which says it has come under repeated fire in the Israeli-Hezbollah war in recent days, has patrolled the troubled border for decades. (AFP/-)
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ndonesia will continue supporting the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, amid growing concerns over the safety of peacekeepers in the conflict-hit country after a continuous string of Israeli attacks.
Tel Aviv’s military campaign in the Middle East, which has spread wide beyond the Gaza strip, continues to draw global ire, including last week when it attacked the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters in southern Lebanon. The attack injured 15 peacekeepers, including two Indonesian troops.
“A few days ago, the Indonesian delegation at the UN emphasized during a security council meeting that it continues to support UNIFIL in fulfilling its mandate as stated by the UN Security Council Resolution No. 1701,” a ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
“Indonesia is consistent in affirming that the issue of the safety and security of UN blue helmet personnel is a responsibility shared by all parties,” the spokesperson said.
The resolution referred to by the Foreign Ministry was first inked in 2006 when the end of the Lebanon war called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces in exchange for the UNIFIL troops stationed in the country’s southern side.
Indonesia has been regularly sending troops to serve on rotation with UNIFIL since 2006. It is currently the top contributor to UNIFIL, with 1,215 troops and 17 staff officers. This makes up nearly 10 percent of the multinational peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
Jakarta last week issued a statement condemning the attack that injured two Indonesian soldiers, warning the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that any offense against peacekeepers was considered a “gross violation of the international humanitarian law”.
