Minister Sugiono Responds to Calls to Withdraw Indonesian Peacekeepers from Lebanon

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March 31, 2026 | 10:09 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono has responded to the proposal of withdrawing the Indonesian National Army (TNI) from Lebanon. Currently, a number of TNI soldiers are in the country bordering Israel as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission.

The suggestion of withdrawing TNI from the mission came after the death of an Indonesian Peacekeeper during clashes between the Israeli military and armed groups in southern Lebanon. The incident occurred on Sunday, March 29, 2026. Sugiono stated that he has not officially received the proposal to withdraw the Indonesian contingent from Lebanon.

"To be honest, I have just heard about it, the proposal has not reached me yet," said Sugiono from Tokyo, Japan in a statement received by Tempo on Monday evening, March 30, 2026.

However, Sugiono mentioned that the idea could be considered. "Of course, if there are steps in that direction, it will certainly be further discussed," he said.

Furthermore, Israel's attacks in Lebanon at the end of March have resulted in the deaths of three more TNI soldiers serving in the UNIFIL mission as Peacekeepers. On March 29, 2026, one TNI soldier was killed and three others suffered minor to severe injuries. The fallen soldier was Kepala Farizal Rhomadhon from the 113th Infantry Battalion/Jaya Sakti.

The next day, the Ministry of Defense confirmed the deaths of two TNI soldiers due to the escalation in Lebanon. The two military personnel who passed away on Monday, March 30, were on a peacekeeping mission with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

"Two TNI soldiers were reported killed, while two others suffered severe injuries," said Head of Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait in his statement on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

On March 30, Deputy Chairperson of Commission I of the House of Representatives Dave Akbarshah Fikarno urged the government to evaluate the effectiveness of the presence of TNI in the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. This request followed the death of a TNI soldier as a result of the clash between Israel and Hezbollah on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

He urged Indonesia to emulate Italy, which plans to withdraw troops from the conflict area. "If the situation cannot be considered safe, it is advisable for the government to withdraw and evaluate the presence of our soldiers in Lebanon," he said at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday, March 30, 2026.

According to Dave, the incident of TNI soldiers dying during the UN peacekeeping mission is a strong signal for Indonesia to question the success of the mission. Instead of peace, the Golkar Party politician stated that what was happening in Lebanon was actually a battle, even resulting in the deaths of Indonesian soldiers. "Is our presence useful in maintaining peace or are we just targets of attack by the Israel Defense Forces," he said.

Dede Leni Mardianti contributed for this article.

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