Israeli fire on UN’s Lebanon headquarters spotlights safety of Indonesians amid evacuation

Indonesia has condemned Israeli military strikes that hit a United Nations post in Lebanon and wounded two Indonesian peacekeepers, as concerns grow over the safety of Indonesian nationals still in the country amid ongoing evacuation efforts.

UN peacekeepers said Israeli fire on their headquarters in south Lebanon on Thursday injured two Blue Helmets from Indonesia. The peacekeepers did not suffer serious injuries, “but they remain in hospital”, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said.

Unifil, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on September 23, after a year of cross-border fire.

The IDF said Hezbollah fighters operate from within and near civilian areas in southern Lebanon, including near towers at the Unifil posts.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Laos on Friday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi “strongly condemned” the attacks, which she said violated international humanitarian laws.