October 15, 2024
JAKARTA – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has called for caution from Indonesian Military (TNI) members deployed as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which has seen rising aggression from Israel in the past weeks.
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon said Israeli fire on their headquarters in the south on Thursday left two Indonesian troops injured.
“The conditions are like that in times of war,” Jokowi said on the matter when asked by reporters to comment during his visit to Nusantara, East Kalimantan, as quoted by Kompas.com.
The outgoing leader, who will step down from office in just a week’s time, went on to say that all soldiers, not just members of the TNI, on duty in peacekeeping missions should be careful.
“If someone is hit and sustains even a minor injury, that’s what we all need to be careful about, especially everyone who is there,” he added.
Last week’s Israeli Defense Force (IDF) attack against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon has been the most serious incident reported by the mission since it said last week it had rejected Israeli demands to “relocate” from some of its positions.
The two peacekeepers who were harmed did not suffer serious injuries but required hospitalization.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on Thursday that the two peacekeepers were Indonesian, and that Indonesia “condemned” the attack.
“Both personnel immediately received treatment at the nearest hospital and are currently in good condition,” the ministry said.
“Indonesia reminds the IDF of the importance of respecting UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] troops and property, and ensuring the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel. Indonesia stresses that any attack on peacekeepers is a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” the ministry added.
UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Sept. 23, after a year of cross-border fire.
According to UNIFIL, the Israeli military also hit another position in Ras Naqura, further to the south, on Thursday. UNIFIL said it hit “the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communications system.”
The mission added that an Israeli military drone “was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance.”
Israel has pounded what it says are Hezbollah positions in Lebanon in the past two weeks, killing more than 1,200 people and displacing more than a million people from their homes, according to official figures.
It has said it is carrying out “limited” incursions across its northern border, while Hezbollah has repeatedly said it was firing on Israeli soldiers trying to advance in the area.