Indonesia seeks permanent ceasefire in Lebanon, respect for sovereignty

Indonesia on Saturday called for a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon and urged all parties to uphold international law and protect civilians, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry to Anadolu.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahd Nabyl said Jakarta is “closely” following the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which were facilitated by the US.

“We hope the negotiations could reach a permanent ceasefire,” said Nabyl in a text message.

Indonesia hopes the negotiations “could reach a permanent ceasefire and lead to concrete steps to avoid further civilian casualties" and worsening humanitarian situation, he added.

Jakarta emphasized that restraint remains critical, urging all actors to respect state sovereignty and adhere to international norms, including humanitarian law.

“All sides must exert maximum restraint, respect state sovereignty, international law, including humanitarian law and protection of civilians,” the statement added.

The remarks come amid a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon after US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire.

The ceasefire came after Tuesday's US-mediated talks between the two sides in Washington, DC.

However, the Lebanese army said early Friday it had recorded several ceasefire violations by Israel, including sporadic shelling targeting villages in southern Lebanon.

The US and Israel began attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against US allies in the Gulf, as well as from the Lebanese group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel then began striking southern Lebanon, killing nearly 2,200 people and displacing 1 million over the last six weeks.

Trump, however, on Friday said he won’t allow Israel to continue attacks on Lebanon.

Indonesia lost at least three peacekeepers deployed in Lebanon under UN mandate amid Israeli attacks. Jakarta has sought a transparent probe into the attacks.

The Iran war is also on a halt, and efforts to end it permanently are underway.