ICWA: Israeli Attack Reveals Disregard for Peace Commitment
The Indonesian Council on World Affairs has condemned Israel’s military attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon at the end of last March. The attack, amid the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, killed three personnel from the Indonesian National Army (TNI).
ICWA Executive Council Chairman AI Busyra Basnur expressed deep condolences to the victims’ families, colleagues, and all peacekeeping personnel. “Israel’s recent escalating actions show the world that they have no intention of achieving peace in the Middle East,” he stated in a press release on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
The three fallen soldiers were Infantry Captain Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, Sergeant First Class Muhammad Nur Ichwan, and Chief Private Firzal Rhomadhon. All three were part of the Garuda contingent serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
ICWA assessed the attack as a serious violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and a threat to UN peacekeeping forces. The organisation stated that Israel’s continuously escalating attacks demonstrate a lack of commitment to achieving peace in the Middle East region.
As a country contributing troops to UNIFIL, Indonesia is deemed to have a direct interest in the safety of its personnel. ICWA noted that the repeated and overt attacks have made the security situation in Lebanon increasingly uncontrollable.
ICWA supports the Indonesian government’s steps in urging the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting immediately. This forum is considered crucial to respond to the deadly escalation of attacks and ensure protection for peacekeeping forces in the field.
ICWA believes that without firm action from the international community, attacks on peacekeeping forces could continue to recur and increase risks for contributing countries, including Indonesia.
Previously, three TNI personnel were killed and five others injured in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon on 29–30 March 2026. The first incident occurred from the night of 29 March to the early hours of 30 March in the Adchit al-Qusayr area, when a projectile explosion struck the UNIFIL forces’ area, killing one TNI soldier.
The following day, on 30 March 2026, another explosion occurred near Bani Hayyan and hit a patrol vehicle, killing two TNI soldiers. This series of attacks reinforces the increasing risks faced by Indonesian peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone.