Initial findings into the deaths of two Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon point to a roadside explosion that struck their convoy, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the Security Council on Tuesday.
On Monday morning, two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed when a blast destroyed their vehicle, near Bani Hayyan in Sector East, Mr Lacroix said, noting that two other peacekeepers were wounded.
“Initial findings point to a roadside explosion striking the convoy,” he said.
The peacekeeping chief said a separate incident on Sunday had also killed a peacekeeper from the Indonesian contingent, bringing to three the number of troops recently killed on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mission.
On Sunday, a peacekeeper was killed in an explosion inside a Unifil base in Ett Taibe in Sector East.
“Another peacekeeper was critically wounded and was evacuated to a hospital in Beirut,” he said, adding that initial assessments indicated a projectile had hit the base.
Unifil, which has about 8,200 peacekeepers, operates along Lebanon’s southern border, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah have been clashing since the war began this month, with Israeli troops advancing in a ground offensive.
“These tragic developments should not have happened,” Mr Lacroix said. “Unifil is conducting investigations to determine the circumstances.”
He warned that the situation had “dangerously deteriorated” amid escalating exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel across the Blue Line and beyond.
Mr Lacroix also cited a rise in incidents affecting peacekeepers’ movements, including warning shots fired by Israeli forces at a Unifil patrol near Naqoura on March 28, and heavy small arms fire from a group of people targeting a patrol near Dayr Qanun An Nahr on March 30.
“Peacekeepers must never be a target. All acts that endanger them must immediately stop,” he said, stressing that Unifil is reassessing its posture to mitigate risks, including strengthening force protection, reducing its footprint and adjusting operations.
Speaking to reporters before the emergency Security Council meeting, Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, blamed Hezbollah for the deaths of the two peacekeepers near Bani Hayyan.
“We can confirm now that Unifil forces were hit by Hezbollah explosive devices in an incident near Bani Hayan in southern Lebanon,” Mr Danon said. “The situation is complex. It is changing quickly, and it’s dangerous.”
US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz called on the international community to support Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces as they "beat back Hezbollah, a group that hides behind civilians".
"We can help refocus international efforts on supporting Lebanese state institutions, reducing risk to peacekeepers, and pressing Hezbollah and Iran to cease their destabilising activities," he added.
The last time a UN peacekeeper was killed was in 2022 when an Irish solider died when the vehicle he was in was shot at in south Lebanon. A Lebanese military tribunal sentenced six Hezbollah members over the killing.
Lebanon’s UN envoy, Ahmad Arafa, urged Iran to respect his country's sovereignty and “cease interfering in its internal affairs,” while accusing Israel of continuing to “undermine the credibility of the government through its continuing violations and serious threats of occupation.”
Unifil deployed in 1978 and has remained throughout multiple conflicts when its positions were repeatedly targeted. Under a Security Council decision, the mission is set to end its operations by late 2026, with a full withdrawal planned for 2027.
