April 16, 2026 | 07:07 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ensuring the safety of its citizens in Lebanon amid the escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The conflict has spread to Beirut.
"It can be confirmed that all Indonesian citizens in Lebanon are safe," said Heni Hamidah, Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.
According to records from the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut, there are currently 934 Indonesian citizens residing in Lebanon, 178 of whom are civilians consisting of students and Indonesians married to locals. Most of them live in Beirut.
Heni said that the other 756 Indonesian citizens are Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel serving under the auspices of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
He said that the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut is monitoring the whereabouts and security of Indonesian citizens who are still in Lebanon, including those serving as TNI personnel with the UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.
“The Indonesian Embassy in Beirut continues to monitor the situation. A contingency plan has been prepared in case conditions worsen," said Heni, adding that the plan is continuously updated to reflect evolving conditions on the ground.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on March 2 when Hezbollah resumed launching rockets into Israel amid U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Israel then launched a large-scale offensive into southern Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, and the suburbs of Beirut. On March 16, the Israeli military officially announced a ground operation in southern Lebanon.
After a two-week ceasefire was announced between Iran and the U.S., Hezbollah temporarily halted its attacks on Israel. However, Hezbollah resumed attacks after Israel launched a massive offensive on Beirut and other Lebanese cities on March 8, killing hundreds.
Lebanese health authorities report that the attacks have killed at least 2,089 people and forced over 1 million more to flee.
To defuse the conflict, Lebanon and Israel agreed to hold direct negotiations after an initial round of dialogue mediated by the U.S. in Washington DC, on Tuesday, April 14.
Read: Hezbollah Rocket Attack Injures 5 Israeli Soldiers in Lebanon
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