UN Preliminary Investigation Blames Israel and Hezbollah for Deaths of Three TNI Personnel

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NEW YORK – The United Nations announced the initial findings of its investigation on 7 April 2026 regarding the deaths of three TNI personnel who were part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping contingent at the end of March 2026. The UN reported that the three TNI personnel most likely died as a result of Israeli tank fire in one incident and an improvised explosive device from Hezbollah in another incident.

“We have requested that the relevant parties investigate and prosecute these cases through national authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure criminal accountability for crimes against peacekeeping forces,” said UN Secretary-General’s Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in a statement shared by the UN Information Centre in Jakarta on Tuesday (7/4/2026).

On 29 March 2026, one TNI personnel was killed and three others injured due to a projectile that exploded near the UNIFIL position in southern Lebanon. The following day, two TNI personnel were killed due to an explosion that destroyed their vehicle. One other was seriously injured and another lightly injured.

“In the first case, the investigation indicates that the projectile was a 120 mm main gun round fired by a Merkava tank of the Israel Defense Forces from the east,” said Dujarric.

Specifically for the second incident, Dujarric continued, the preliminary investigation shows that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device or IED triggered by the victims via a tripwire mechanism. This conclusion is based on an analysis of the blast site, the condition of the affected vehicle, and the discovery of a second IED nearby on the same day.