Unifil Attacked Again, Foreign Ministry: Peacekeeping Forces Must Not Be Targeted
Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) has emphasised that peacekeeping forces under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) must not be targeted in attacks. This comes in response to the deaths of several Unifil personnel, including the most recent incident where a French soldier was killed in an attack in Lebanon. “Indonesia continues to express concern over the continuous attacks on Unifil. Peacekeeping forces must not be targeted; such actions can be considered war crimes,” Kemenlu stated on its X account on Sunday (19/4/2026). Therefore, according to Kemenlu, these attacks are unacceptable. “All parties must exercise restraint, respect state sovereignty, and uphold international law, including international humanitarian law,” Kemenlu added. The ministry also reminded that ongoing negotiations and the ceasefire must be fully respected and not violated by acts of violence that risk worsening escalation and endangering personnel on the ground. “Indonesia reiterates the joint commitment to strengthen protection for UN peacekeeping forces, as reflected in the Joint Statement on the Safety and Security of UN Personnel on 9 April 2026,” Kemenlu further stated. Previously, a French soldier was killed and three others injured in an attack on UN peacekeeping forces (Unifil) in Lebanon on Saturday (18/4/2026). French President Emmanuel Macron indicated that initial evidence points to the involvement of the Hezbollah group in the incident. “Everything points to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack,” Macron wrote on X, urging Lebanese authorities to immediately apprehend the perpetrators. This incident occurred amid a 10-day ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday (16/4/2026), to pave the way for negotiations to end the six-week war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group. Earlier, three Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel serving with Unifil also perished after becoming victims of an attack in Lebanon.