Three United Nations peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon after a bloody weekend in which Lebanese journalists and medics were killed in Israeli strikes.
Two of the peacekeepers were killed in an explosion on Monday (30 March). In a statement, the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL said that their vehicle was targeted by an explosion near Bani Hayyan in south Lebanon, which also wounded two solidiers, the statement said.
A seperate explosion in the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr overnight Sunday into Monday morning killed another Indonesian and critically injured another peacemaker.
The attacks marked the first time in the conflict UN staff have been targeted in strikes.
"These are two separate incidents and we are investigating them as two separate incidents", said UNIFIL's spokesperson Kandice Ardiel.
In response to the first death, Indonesia's foreign ministry said on Monday the deceased peacekeeper was one of its citizens and that three others were injured by "indirect artillery fire".
Indonesia condemned the incident and said any harm to peacekeepers is unacceptable, while reiterating its condemnation "of Israel's attacks in southern Lebanon."
The country's Foreign Minister Sugiono called on Tuesday in a post on social media website X for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
Spoke with UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres (30/3) following the deaths of Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeepers.
Indonesia condemns this heinous attack. The safety and security of UN peacekeepers is non-negotiable and must be upheld at all times.
Appreciate the… pic.twitter.com/VLdIbC5vR1 — Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia (@Menlu_RI) March 30, 2026
Israel's military said early on Tuesday it is aware of the reports regarding the two incidents and they are being reviewed thoroughly to determine whether they resulted from Hezbollah or the military's activity.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.
"We strongly condemn these unacceptable incidents - peacekeepers must never be a target," the UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told reporters in a briefing on Monday.
Israel has said it intends to control a buffer zone up to the Litani River, which runs about 30 km (20 miles) north of the border into Lebanon territory.
Civilians in six villages in Lebanon's western Bekaa region were issued with evacuation warnings by Israel on Monday. Fresh airstrikes hit several towns in southern Lebanon on Monday and at least one strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs. The military said the warning was prompted by what it described as militant activity in the area, without providing further details.
The Israeli military say strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs targeted commanders responsible for coordination between Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups.
Death toll rises
UNIFIL is based on the demarcation line on the border between Lebanon and Israel. Iran-backed group Hezbollah fighters fired into Israel two days after the U.S.-Israel fired the first missiles in the current conflict which is now in its second month. UNIFIL's mission is set to end by the end of 2026.
According to Lebanese officials, more 1,240 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on the country. They include 120 children, nearly 80 women and dozens of paramedics.
More than 400 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since 2 March, according to two sources familiar with Hezbollah's count.
At least 10 paramedics were killed over the weekend in Israeli strikes, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Three journalists were killed in an Israeli strike on their car on Saturday.
The Israeli military has accused Hezbollah operatives of posing as Lebanese paramedics, and has said that some journalists it killed were part of the group's intelligence or military wing. It has not publicly provided evidence to support those claims.
Lebanon's health ministry has denied that any ambulances or health facilities are used for military purposes. Lebanon's presidency has said that targeted journalists are "civilians performing a professional duty."
Israel's military said on Monday that a sixth soldier had been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon. Lebanon's armed forces said that a Lebanese soldier had died in an Israeli airstrike.
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