The Indonesian Foreign Ministry today expressed its support for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), despite the Israeli government's request for the withdrawal of the international contingent.
"A few days ago, the Indonesian delegation to the UN stressed during a Security Council meeting that it continues to support UNFIL in its mission as set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1701," said a spokesperson for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, quoted by The Jakarta Post.
"Indonesia is consistent and affirms that the issue of the safety of the peacekeepers is a shared responsibility of all parties," the spokesperson added.
Indonesian diplomacy acknowledged that there is growing concern about the situation of the peacekeepers after five soldiers - one of them Indonesian - were injured in Israeli attacks in recent days and another 15 were injured by a smoke screen thrown by Israeli troops that attacked one of the international force's positions.
UNIFIL, created in 1978, is made up of around 10,500 soldiers from around 50 countries who are ensuring the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Up to 1,215 soldiers are Indonesian, while Spain contributes around 650 soldiers, including its commanding general, Aroldo Lázaro.
On 1 October, the Israeli Armed Forces launched a ground invasion of Lebanon with the declared aim of attacking the militias of the Shiite movement Hezbollah, which worsened the situation for the international forces.
