October 15, 2024
JAKARTA – Indonesia 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”.
Read also: Indonesia condemns Israeli strike on UN peacekeeping base
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Army chief of staff Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak said that the military continued to evaluate the situation in Lebanon, assessing last week’s attack while also preparing to make ready for a fresh batch of peacekeepers to be deployed to the conflict-hit country if needed.
“The management and decision [to add more personnel] is up to the TNI [Indonesian Military commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto]. My job is to ensure that [the Army] is ready [at any time],” Maruli said, as quoted by Antara.
“The injury of Indonesian soldiers the other day is an evaluation point for the military. We will think about preventing similar or more fatal events in the future,” he added.
Read also: Jokowi urges caution among UN peacekeepers after attack harms two TNI soldiers
A TNI statement on Sunday said that pre-service training for personnel shortlisted to deploy under the UNIFIL maritime task force had kicked off late last week. The drill was designed to ensure that soldiers possessed the “knowledge and skills needed to safeguard security and stability in Lebanese waters”.
“Participants will receive guidance from the Army’s commander, receive materials relevant to the standard of operation and rules of engagement, as well as simulations of maritime operation tactics that would be encountered while serving in Lebanese waters,” the statement said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday became one among the many expressing their disapproval over Israel’s latest attack against UNIFIL, writing in a statement that “the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times”.
“Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law & may constitute a war crime,” he wrote on his official X account. “@UNIFIL_ personnel and premises must never be targeted.”