UN Probe: Israeli Fire and Hezbollah IED Killed Peacekeepers in Lebanon

A preliminary United Nations investigation has determined that three Indonesian peacekeepers killed in southern Lebanon in March 2026 were victims of separate attacks involving Israeli military fire and a Hezbollah explosive device.

The findings, released on April 7, 2026, indicate that one peacekeeper was killed by an Israeli tank projectile. Two other peacekeepers died in a separate incident involving an improvised explosive device (IED) that the United Nations stated was most likely placed by Hezbollah.

The three personnel were killed during two separate incidents on March 29 and March 30, 2026. These deaths occurred following a weekend of intensified conflict in southern Lebanon that also resulted in the deaths of Lebanese medics and journalists during Israeli strikes.

UN Investigation and Legal Status

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated during a news briefing on April 7, 2026, that the current findings are preliminary findings, based on initial physical evidence. He noted that a comprehensive investigation is ongoing and includes engagement with the involved parties.

Dujarric characterized the incidents as unacceptable and indicated that the killings could be classified as war crimes under international law.

We have requested with the relevant parties that the cases be investigated and prosecuted by national authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure criminal accountability for crimes against peacekeepers

Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesperson

Victim Identification

Among the deceased was Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, a member of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). A funeral ceremony for Iskandar was held on April 5, 2026, at the Cikutra Heroes Cemetery in Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia.

Regional Tensions and UNIFIL Obstructions

The release of the probe’s preliminary findings coincided with further reports of instability and restrictions on international movements in southern Lebanon.

On April 7, 2026, a spokesperson for UNIFIL reported that the Israeli military blocked a logistics convoy and briefly detained one of its peacekeepers.

a priest in a besieged Christian town reported that bombardment in southern Lebanon on April 7, 2026, forced a humanitarian aid convoy organized by the Vatican’s embassy to turn back.