Most Indonesians in Lebanon Are UNIFIL Personnel; Foreign Ministry Has No Evacuation Plan Yet

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry (Kemlu) has not planned to evacuate Indonesian citizens in Lebanon. There are 939 Indonesians in Lebanon, most of whom are TNI personnel serving with UNIFIL. ‘Regarding evacuation in Lebanon, we have 939 Indonesian citizens but the majority are UNIFIL TNI personnel, and to date there is no plan to evacuate,’ said Acting Director for Protection of Indonesian Citizens Abroad at Kemlu, Heni Hamidah, at the Kemlu building in Central Jakarta, on Friday 6 March 2026. Nevertheless, Heni said Kemlu continues to monitor conditions on the ground. Kemlu is also continuing to prepare evacuation plans. ‘Our representatives continue to monitor the real conditions on the ground in a measured way, keep updating contingency plans and, of course, evacuation options if they are needed,’ she stated. For awareness, in recent days the Israeli military launched air strikes against Hizbullah positions in Beirut and southern Lebanon. Infantry troops are now also reported to have entered Lebanese territory. The operation is claimed as a response to that Shi’ite militia’s attacks. Hizbullah responded to the US-Israel air strikes against Iran by attacking targets in northern Israel with rockets and drones from Sunday night (1 March) to Monday (2 March) last. This escalation forms part of a broader regional conflict. From the Israeli leadership’s perspective, this is not merely a direct response to militia attacks. Israel is pursuing several strategic objectives – ranging from weakening Hizbullah, stabilising the northern border, to limiting Iran’s influence in the region.