TNI Falls in Lebanon, HNW Urges UN to Impose Sanctions on Israel
Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly, Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW), has expressed condolences over the deaths of three Indonesian National Army (TNI) soldiers and injuries to five others during a peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon. The incident occurred due to what is described as a reckless Israeli attack.
He has requested that the government award the title of Peace Hero to the victims, along with assistance for the families they leave behind.
Furthermore, he is urging the government to consider withdrawing TNI troops from southern Lebanon, given the conditions deemed no longer safe.
HNW has pressed the United Nations (UN) to go beyond mere strong condemnations. He has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council (UNSC), as proposed by France, to address Israel’s violations of international law.
In his view, the UN must take firm steps by imposing sanctions, including considering the suspension of Israel’s membership.
He has also reminded the United States not to use its veto power again in UNSC decisions. According to him, attacks on peacekeeping forces contradict efforts to foster global peace that have long been championed.
“We are deeply saddened by the deaths and injuries of several TNI soldiers who were carrying out Indonesia’s constitutional mandate to maintain peace in Lebanon, which also aligns with the UN’s mission. May Allah SWT accept them as martyrs, and may the state appreciate their sacrifice by honouring them as Peace Heroes and caring for the families they leave behind,” stated HNW in a written statement on Thursday (2 April 2026).
HNW stated that the government needs to urge the UN Security Council to promptly hold an emergency session without vetoes, to impose sanctions on Israel, including the option of suspending its UN membership, for actions deemed contrary to peace.
HNW expressed hope that the Indonesian Government would collaborate in supporting France’s initiative. He also encouraged the government to lobby permanent UNSC member states so that Israel’s attack on TNI peacekeeping soldiers is swiftly addressed in an emergency Security Council session.
“Israel’s attack clearly violates international law and is utterly unacceptable to common sense, further demonstrating Israel’s stance against peace and international law, and therefore it should face severe sanctions from the UN, including expulsion from UN membership,” he added.
HNW also hopes that Israel’s actions in continuously expanding the conflict, including attacking and killing TNI peacekeeping soldiers, will prompt the Indonesian Government to evaluate its membership in the US-established Board of Peace (BoP).
In his opinion, Indonesia’s participation in that forum needs to be reviewed, given that Israel, which shows no commitment to peace, is also part of it.
“With Israel’s anti-peace behaviour yet still tolerated by Donald Trump, the Board of Peace increasingly lacks moral legitimacy, especially with the ongoing anti-peace and barbaric actions by Israel against Gaza, extending to the West Bank, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Lebanon, Syria, and even to the TNI peacekeeping soldiers,” he explained.
He stated that Indonesia should rightly consider withdrawing from the Board of Peace, which is seen as unable to deliver peace.
Finally, he also assessed that the option of deploying troops to Gaza needs to be reviewed to prevent TNI soldiers from becoming victims again, and so that such steps do not further distance efforts to achieve peace and Palestinian independence.