Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Seeing the escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon, Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered immediate evacuation of Indonesian citizens who are still in Lebanon. Jokowi also strongly condemned Israel’s recent attacks on Lebanon, which have claimed hundreds of lives.
“Indonesia strongly condemns Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, and we call on all countries, as well as the UN, to respond quickly in order to prevent more victims from falling due to these Israeli attacks,” Jokowi said on Wednesday, September 25, during a statement from Indonesia’s new capital city in East Kalimantan.
Jokowi emphasized that evacuation plans for Indonesian citizens in Lebanon are being prepared and coordinated by Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu). These efforts aim to ensure that the government takes immediate steps to protect its citizens in the conflict zone.
Escalating Israel-Lebanon Tensions
The Indonesian government, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in Beirut, has been preparing evacuation plans for Indonesian nationals since tensions between Israel and Hezbollah militants escalated in August. These tensions worsened after a series of communication device explosions, including pagers and walkie-talkies, rocked Lebanon in mid-September, followed by aerial attacks this week.
The conflict between Israel and Lebanon intensified after Israel launched strikes on Palestine following the events of October 7, 2023. The hostilities soon spread to the Israel-Lebanon border, including the Blue Line which is the demarcation line between the two nations.
On Tuesday, September 17, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, leading to a series of explosions that destroyed thousands of communication devices over the course of two days. The blasts killed at least 32 people and injured more than 3,450.
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By Monday, September 23, Israeli forces launched new airstrikes along the border, which continued through Wednesday, September 25, hitting cities in both southern and eastern Lebanon. Lebanon’s health authorities reported that 570 people have died and 1,800 have been injured since the latest wave of strikes.
This series of attacks not only killed Hezbollah militants, but many civilians also became victims of the Israeli attacks, including women and children.
Safety and Evacuation for Indonesian Citizens
Judha Nugraha, Director of Citizen Protection and Legal Entities at Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut has raised its alert level to Siaga 1 (the highest alert status) for all of Lebanon since August 2024. Previously, this status was only applied to southern Lebanon following the escalation in October 2023.
Since the heightened alert was issued, the embassy has facilitated the return of 25 Indonesian nationals from Lebanon to Indonesia. As of now, there are still 159 Indonesians in Lebanon, excluding Indonesian military personnel serving as part of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL).
Both the Ministry and the Indonesian embassy have urged Indonesian citizens in Lebanon to remain vigilant, avoid dangerous areas, and limit non-essential travel. Indonesians planning to travel to Lebanon, Iran, Israel, or Palestine have also been advised to delay their trips until the situation stabilizes.
Amid the ongoing conflict, President Jokowi reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to supporting global peace while ensuring the protection of its citizens abroad who find themselves in dangerous situations.
(Raidi/Agung)
