Jakarta. Indonesia has chosen to wait for the final results of the UN investigation on its peacekeepers’ killings as it keeps its remaining blue helmets stationed in southern Lebanon.

The UN has just unveiled the preliminary findings into the two separate incidents that slain three Indonesian personnel serving in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Initial findings named an Israeli tank fire and a Hezbollah explosive device as the possible cause of death. Indonesia said it did not want to make any speculations, thus calling for a “comprehensive” probe into the attacks. Jakarta pushed for anyone responsible to be held legally accountable, with its threats specifically targeted at Israel.

“This is still a preliminary investigation,” Veronica Vicka Rompis, the acting director for international security at the Foreign Ministry, told a presser on Wednesday.

“But if a comprehensive probe confirms those initial findings, Indonesia will strongly condemn Israeli actions that killed and injured our peacekeepers.”

Indonesia insists the incidents “did not arise in a vacuum”, but had stemmed from the Israeli military moves in Lebanon. Israel had been intensely fighting with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group. Hezbollah’s entry into the war came after Israel killed Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in late February. As more clashes break out, the risks for the Indonesian peacekeepers grow. 

Asked if a UNIFIL withdrawal plan is on the table, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said that Jakarta would take into account many factors before arriving at such a decision.

“UNIFIL is part of Indonesia’s commitment to peace and security. Decisions — including on that [withdrawal] matter — will be subject to extremely thorough consideration, both in terms of personnel safety, the relevance of UNIFIL’s mandate, and contribution to regional stability,” Yvonne said.

“Troop-contributing countries like Indonesia will, of course, maintain communication with the UN, … including in regards to the personnel rules of engagement.”

State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi also confirmed that the government had not made any decision related to the pullout.

According to initial UN findings, a 120mm round fired by an Israeli Merkava tank struck a UN position on March 29, killing the 27-year-old Indonesian corporal Farizal Rhomadhon. The two other Indonesians — Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and Muhammad Nur Ichwan  —  died from an improvised explosive device “most likely placed” by Hezbollah. UN spokesperson for the secretary-general Stéphane Dujarric said the organization had shared the findings with not only Indonesia, but also Israel and Lebanon.

The UN is expected to reveal more details once they make further analyses. In less than 24 hours since Indonesia denied the withdrawal plans, Israel announced its troops had pounded Lebanon with its heaviest airstrikes. Hezbollah had halted its attacks under a two-week US-Iran truce.

As of March 30, Indonesia contributed 755 peacekeepers to UNIFIL, making it the world’s largest contributor to the mission. The UNIFIL has 7,505 blue helmets coming from 47 countries.

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