May 24, 2026 | 05:19 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Nine Indonesians who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 have landed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Sunday afternoon, May 24, 2026. They departed from Istanbul, Turkey, after being previously intercepted and detained by the Israeli military while en route to Gaza for a humanitarian mission. Among them are four Indonesian journalists, including Andre Nugroho from TV Tempo; Thoudy Badai and Bambang Noroyono from Republika; and iNews journalist Heru Rahendro.The rest are humanitarian activists Andi Angga, Hendro Prasetyo, Herman Budianto, Ronggo Wirsanu, and Asad Aras.Residents and organizations under the Global Peave Convoy Indonesia welcomed their arrival, raising a long banner with "Welcome humanitarian warriors" (Selamat datang pejuang kemanusiaan) printed on it. The awaiting crowd also raised the Palestinian flag to welcome the group, while "Free Palestine" chants were heard loud and clear in the international arrival lobby of Soekarno-Hatta Airport.Foreign Minister Sugiono, along with the Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia, Abdulfattah A.K. Al-Sattiri, was present to welcome the arrival of the nine Indonesian activists at the airport. "Welcome back (Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers). Enjoy your time reuniting with your family," said Sugiono at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday.Before returning to Indonesia, the nine flotilla volunteers underwent health screening in Istanbul. The Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian activists, including those from Indonesia, were subjected to violence and inhumane treatment during their detention by the Israeli military.These acts of violence have been reported to the Global Peace Convoy Indonesia, which noted physical assault, the use of a taser gun, rubber bullets, humiliation, harassment, and painful body positioning by the Israeli forces.Hundreds of Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers were bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza, Palestine, when their fleet was intercepted by Israeli forces off Mediterranean waters in mid-May. Five of the ships carrying Indonesian volunteers were also intercepted at different times.Read: KJRI: 9 Indonesians Beaten, Electrocuted by Israeli ArmyClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
