Indonesia has called on the United Nations to investigate the killing of three of its peacekeepers in southern Lebanon in Israeli attacks, as war between Israel and Hezbollah rages.
The call came in a Tuesday statement delivered by Indonesia's representative to the UN, Omar Hadi, during an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council following the deaths.
"We demand a direct investigation by the United Nations into the killing of UNIFIL peacekeepers, not merely Israeli excuses," he said.
UNIFIL – the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon – has been operating since the late 1970s in the country's south, specifically south of the Litani River.
Last year, and following US pressure, the Security Council extended the mission’s mandate only once more until the end of 2026. The UN force will have until the end of 2027 to complete its pullout. What happened? A UN security source told AFP on Tuesday that Israeli fire had killed an Indonesian peacekeeper over the weekend, after the UN force said it was investigating the incident.
UNIFIL had said that the peacekeeper was killed on Sunday evening when a projectile of unknown origin "exploded in a UNIFIL position near Aadchit al-Qusayr" in the Marjaayoun district.
The source told AFP on condition of anonymity that investigations had shown the fire came from an Israeli tank, adding that "debris from a tank round has been recovered" at the site.
On Monday, UNIFIL said another "explosion of unknown origin" destroyed a peacekeeping vehicle, killing two more Indonesian troops, and that an investigation had also been launched into that incident.
The UN security source said the origin of that explosion may have been a mine.
Israel's military denied responsibility for Monday's incident, although it has left behind cluster munitions, unexploded ordnance, and IEDs from its air and ground operations. Reoccurring attacks The UN force has been caught in the crosshairs between Hezbollah and Israel since fighting between the two started in 2023, escalated into an all-out war in 2024, and resumed a month ago.
The Indonesian peacekeepers' deaths were the first fatalities, but several other personnel have been wounded in attacks.
In February, an internal report seen by The Associated Press said UNIFIL peacekeepers in south Lebanon have faced a dramatic surge of "aggressive behaviour" by Israeli forces over the past year, including drone-dropped grenades and machine-gun fire.
The targeting of peacekeepers appears aimed at undermining the international force and strengthening Israel's military footprint along the UN-drawn border with Lebanon, known as the Blue Line, the report alleges.
During the 2024 war on Lebanon, the Israeli military repeatedly ordered UNIFIL to vacate its positions, something the UN force refused to do.
Israel has long accused UNIFIL of allegedly failing to prevent Hezbollah from building up its military presence along the border in violation of ceasefire agreements since two decades. The Lebanese government and UNIFIL had said last year that Hezbollah was no longer present south of the Litani. The New Arab reached out to UNIFIL for comment. UNIFIL's withdrawal? David Wood, senior Lebanon analyst at the International Crisis Group, told TNA that the presence of UN peacekeepers south of the Litani River creates obstacles to the Israeli military’s advance into the area.
"UNIFIL has so far refused to evacuate, as it did during the last major escalation in Lebanon from September to November 2024, because the mission can still monitor the situation and violations of Resolution 1701 ," Wood said, referring to the Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 summer war between Israel and Hezbollah but has never been fully implemented.
"It also sends an important message of solidarity from the international community to Lebanon, particularly to people in the south," he added.
However, Wood warned that UNIFIL could withdraw before its mandate expires if the situation escalates further.
"If conditions in southern Lebanon deteriorate and it becomes too dangerous for UN peacekeepers to remain, UNIFIL may decide to withdraw. That said, the mission will likely try to avoid this step given the importance of maintaining an international presence to monitor violations of Resolution 1701," he told TNA .
Wood added that UNIFIL does not have a mandate from the Security Council to confront any of the parties to the conflict, meaning it cannot actively prevent Israel’s advance into Lebanon. Indonesia's role Jakarta joined UNIFIL following the 2006 war when the Security Council decided to expand the mission’s mandate.
Out of the 8,200 peacekeepers, Indonesia contributes 755 personnel, making it one of the largest contingents in the UN force.
Beyond its role in war-torn southern Lebanon, Indonesia is part of the 'Board of Peace' , established earlier this year and headed by US President Donald Trump, to oversee post-war Gaza.
In an attempt to rival the UN, the body includes several countries and will be in charge of an interim governing authority in Gaza and a peacekeeping mission set to deploy in the Palestinian enclave.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, does not have formal ties with Israel and has long been a supporter of the Palestinians.
But Indonesia’s participation on the board and its decision to contribute troops for a Gaza stabilisation force have drawn criticism from experts and Muslim groups at home, who say it compromises its long-standing support for the Palestinian cause.
Similar to its large UNIFIL presence, Indonesia is expected to make up the bulk of the Gaza deployment with 5,000 soldiers.
Under the ceasefire deal, which ended Israel’s two-year genocide in Gaza, Israeli forces are obliged to gradually leave the Strip as international forces are deployed.
But just as its troops come under attack in southern Lebanon despite international condemnation, it is likely that Jakarta’s soldiers in Gaza could face the same fate with ongoing Israeli attacks.