Not Enough to Condemn: UN Urged to Take Firm Action on the Death of Three Indonesian UNIFIL Soldiers by Israel
Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Dave Laksono, stated that there must be firmness from the United Nations (UN) as well as the Indonesian National Army (TNI) regarding the deaths of several TNI soldiers in the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon due to an Israeli attack.
He emphasised that the safety of soldiers must be prioritised and the ongoing operations clarified. Because, he said, a war between Hezbollah and Israel is raging in the region, resulting in the deaths of TNI soldiers.
“We are deeply saddened and we extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and all TNI soldiers,” said Dave at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Tuesday (31/3).
He assessed that there should already have been a rotation of TNI soldiers serving in Lebanon for the peacekeeping mission, either by reducing the numbers or changing the operational patterns.
“Back to TNI Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence to remap the tasks and operations of our soldiers in Lebanon,” he said.
To his knowledge, he said, the number of personnel in the Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon is around nearly 5,000 people, with about 800 being TNI soldiers. If it cannot be declared safe, he believes the operations should be halted first until the situation is truly conducive.
“And this military mission and operation should be redefined, and the tasks and obligations of our soldiers there should be clearly outlined to what extent,” he said.
Regarding the deaths of several soldiers, he also requested a thorough investigation involving all parties. That investigation, he said, must be conducted openly to provide justice and safety for TNI soldiers.
“The issue of troop withdrawal is the authority of TNI Headquarters itself. So we await the stance of the Commander-in-Chief after obtaining accurate information,” he said.
The UN has stated that the attack on UNIFIL in Lebanon constitutes a violation of Resolution 1701. Three Indonesian soldiers fell in the peacekeeping mission due to artillery attacks and convoys.
The TNI confirmed that two UNIFIL PBB peacekeeping soldiers died due to an explosion incident in southern Lebanon, namely Captain Inf Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and Staff Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan.
The latest incident occurred on Monday (30/3), when an explosion hit a UNIFIL logistics convoy near Bani Hayyan. This event caused two Indonesian personnel to die.
The incident has drawn sharp attention from various parties, including international relations observer from Padjadjaran University, Teuku Rezasyah.
UNIFIL is a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon involving more than 10,000 troops from 50 countries. Indonesia turns out to be one of the largest contributors.
The presence of TNI in international peacekeeping missions is real evidence of Indonesia’s commitment to maintaining world order as mandated by the constitution.
Cabinet Secretary Prasetyo Hadi expressed condolences over the deaths of three Indonesian UNIFIL soldiers in Lebanon. The government is coordinating the repatriation of the bodies and instructing increased vigilance.
The Indonesian government has strongly condemned the successive attacks that killed two TNI soldiers in Lebanon. They were serving under the UNIFIL mission.