Türkiye, 4 other nations condemn Israeli attacks on Indonesian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

ISTANBUL

Türkiye and four other nations on Sunday condemned “in the strongest terms” the recent killing of three Indonesian peacekeepers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a joint statement shared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

A statement released by MIKTA, a partnership made up of Türkiye, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, and Australia, said attacks on UN personnel are “unacceptable and violate international law, particularly international humanitarian law.”

The MIKTA foreign ministers “express their deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to Indonesia,” and wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured, the statement added.

“The members of MIKTA stand in solidarity with Indonesia and fully support its call for an immediate, thorough and transparent investigation of the attacks.”

It also said the MIKTA foreign ministers, as signatories to the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, “reiterate the importance of ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian personnel.”

Israel has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2.

Lebanese authorities said at least 1,422 people have since been killed and 3,294 injured in Israeli attacks.

The escalation came amid a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has killed more than 1,340 people since Feb. 28. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and US bases in Gulf countries.