Jakarta – The 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.
But this time, Israel has a more sinister goal: establishing a "Greater Israel" lebensraum after successfully neutralizing Syria and flattening Gaza. Upon attacking Iran, Israel daringly announced that its erstwhile ally, Turkey, would be the next target.
With such heightened tension, it is only proper for the Indonesian government to rethink its UNIFIL mission. The current mandate expires at the end of this year, and an orderly withdrawal is already scheduled for 2027. This withdrawal process is a critical window to protect all UNIFIL personnel, including Indonesians.
These attacks also raise a recurring question: does Indonesia really want to remain in the Board of Peace (BoP) established by US President Donald Trump? This is especially pressing given that the true intention of Gaza's reconstruction appears to be the establishment of a Jewish lebensraum.
More importantly, is President Prabowo Subianto willing to send Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers on a "suicide mission" to Gaza by deploying a composite brigade consisting mostly of health and engineering battalions? Indonesia sends numerous task forces to serve under UNIFIL, the largest being the mechanized infantry battalion dubbed "IndoBatt" – a proper fighting force, albeit for a peacekeeping operation. While equipped with armored vehicles, IndoBatt lacks heavy weapons, such as artillery and tanks, because its mandate is strictly to maintain peace.
However, what if the warring parties do not want peace? Sending health and engineering battalions into such an environment is a recipe for disaster. President Prabowo should no longer prioritize "guaranteeing the security of Israel" – as he did when joining the Trump-led BoP – over Indonesian national interests and Palestinian freedom as mandated by the Constitution.
Source: https://asianews.network/peacekeepers-under-attack-the-jakarta-post