Jakarta. Indonesia is planning to send over 700 peacekeepers to the conflict-ridden southern Lebanon later this month, despite having recently lost four of its blue helmets.

Dudung Abdurachman, who heads the Presidential Staff Office, has said that 742 Indonesian military personnel would soon go on a UNIFIL mission to replace the troops currently stationed there. The UNIFIL is the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, a country that has witnessed heightened clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Foreign Minister Sugiono confirmed the plan but gave a different estimate of the new mission's size.

“Our peacekeepers will depart [for Lebanon] on the 22nd [of May]. It’s around 780 people,” Sugiono told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Four Indonesian personnel had recently lost their lives as the Israel-Hezbollah fighting intensified. Three had died on the spot. The fourth victim lost his life at the hospital after sustaining severe injuries from a blast linked to an Israeli tank. Indonesia has repeatedly urged the UN to launch a thorough probe into their deaths. 

“They [the UN] are still investigating. We [Indonesia] have asked for accountability,” Sugiono said.

Later that day, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang explained to reporters the rationale behind sending another batch of peacemakers despite the recent fatalities.

"This is about continuing our commitment to peace and what our constitution has mandated," she said.

The UNIFIL is in charge of keeping an eye on the cessation of hostilities and making sure that humanitarian aid flows into the region. 

As of May 1, 47 countries contribute a total of 7,478 peacekeepers, with about 748 coming from Indonesia. This makes Indonesia the top contributor, followed by Italy at 746 personnel. 

Hezbollah had resumed its attacks against Israel after the latter killed Iran’s then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei. They have been aggressively trading fire to this day despite a truce that began on April 17 and was later extended to mid-May.

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