Israel Abducts Indonesian Activist-Journalist, Ustaz Bachtiar Nasir Urges Government to Pursue Emergency Diplomacy
Jakarta — A total of five Indonesian citizens (WNI) participating in the humanitarian mission Global Sumud Flotilla, who were attempting to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip in Palestine, were abducted by the Israeli military. The occupying forces intercepted the ships carrying them as they were in the Mediterranean Sea region, in international waters, on Monday (18 May 2026) local time.
The patron of Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI), Ustaz Bachtiar Nasir, urged the Indonesian government to promptly take emergency diplomatic steps to secure the safety of all Indonesian victims of the Zionist kidnapping. The figure, commonly known as UBN, said swift and measured diplomatic action is urgently needed amid the increasingly precarious situation.
‘The Government of the Republic of Indonesia, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, should immediately undertake emergency diplomacy to ensure the safety of all Indonesian citizens who are part of the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 fleet,’ UBN said in a statement on Tuesday (19 May 2026).
According to him, the Global Sumud Flotilla fleet is a civilian mission that carries humanitarian aid and solidarity to the people of Gaza. He emphasised that the mission is not a military operation and therefore should not be subjected to sieges or armed interceptions.
UBN assessed that the action of intercepting civilian ships in international waters constitutes a violation of international law and human rights. The volunteers aboard the fleet are simply carrying a humanitarian mandate to assist Palestinian civilians living under blockade and in a protracted crisis.
The Indonesian delegation taking part in the fleet carried a message of humanitarian solidarity from the Indonesian public to the Palestinian people. Their presence, UBN asserted, represents concern for the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip which continues to attract international attention.
In addition to urging the Indonesian government, the preacher also called on the United Nations and global human rights institutions to take firm action against Israel.
He hopes the international community can pressure to halt the interception of civilian ships and to promptly release all detained activists.
‘Do not allow humanitarian volunteers to face military power without a voice from the world defending them,’ he said.