May 22, 2026 | 08:38 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - All Indonesian citizens who were held captive by Israel while participating in the Gaza humanitarian mission Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 have been released. They are currently in transit in Istanbul, Turkey, for examination before being repatriated to Indonesia.TV Tempo journalist, Andre Prasetyo Nugroho, who was one of the hostages, stated that they arrived in Istanbul on Thursday night, May 21, 2026. Currently, Andre and other Indonesian citizens are undergoing health examinations before returning to their homeland. They have suffered injuries due to being tortured by the Israeli military.Andre mentioned that despite having numerous injuries on various parts of his body, he is in good health. According to him, his injuries are much less severe compared to those of other volunteers. He stated over the phone from Istanbul using a mobile phone belonging to the embassy staff on Thursday, "Others are in worse condition. Some have broken bones and so on."Andre stated that the volunteers have received assistance from the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Istanbul. "They will be treated," he said.During the brief conversation, Andre also recounted that while being held captive, they were not provided with adequate food and drink. Andre and several other volunteers chose to go on a hunger strike in protest of the violence they experienced. He said, "We rarely drank. The food we got was just pieces of bread. But I went on a hunger strike. So I only had a good meal on the plane."Andre, along with eight other Indonesian citizens, was abducted by the Israeli military while in the waters of Cyprus, the Mediterranean Sea, en route to Gaza, Palestine. They were volunteers participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 mission to deliver logistical aid and break the Israeli blockade against Palestine.Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI), the organization overseeing the GSF mission, stated that during their detention, several delegates reported to the GPCI that they had experienced violence and inhumane treatment. Reported forms of mistreatment included beatings, use of tasers, rubber bullets, insults, harassment, and painful body positioning.Previously, Israel's Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, also posted a video showing Israeli soldiers torturing GSF volunteers who were captured. The video was uploaded on X on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.The video shows several volunteers being captured by Israeli forces. A woman can be heard shouting "Free Palestine" before her head is pulled and forced to bow down in a prostrate position. The video also shows Ben-Gvir going around monitoring the captured volunteers.Read: Indonesians Detained by Israel Arrive in IstanbulClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
