Tempo journalist on flotilla mission sends SOS: I have been kidnapped by Israel

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are said to have intercepted at least 25 aid ships from Marmaris, Turkey, while they were about 250 nautical miles from Gaza, Palestine. One of them is Tempo journalist Andre Prasetyo Nugroho, who was aboard the Ozgurluk with two other journalists, all confirmed to have faced interception by the Israeli military. Andre briefly conveyed an emergency message via a video. He asked that the video be shared to attract attention from our President Prabowo Subianto. “If you see this video, it means I have been intercepted or kidnapped by Zionist Israel,” Andre said in a video posted on the Instagram account @tvtempochannel, quoted on Tuesday (19/5). “I ask friends to share this video as widely as possible to garner attention from our president Bapak Prabowo Subianto and Foreign Minister Bapak Sugiono,” he added. Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI) also emphasised that the armada was a peaceful civilian mission bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza residents. They argue that Israel’s blockage of civilian ships in international waters violates international law. At least nine Indonesian nationals participated on the humanitarian voyage aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla 2026 to Gaza, Palestine. A celebrity account, Chiki Fawzi, who was also involved as a volunteer for the Global Sumud Flotilla, posted the positions of the nine Indonesians. “Thoudy Badai (Journalist), Hendro Prasetyo (Humanitarian Activist), Andre Prasetyo (Journalist), Andi Angga (Humanitarian Activist), Ronggo Wirasanu (Humanitarian Activist), Herman Budianto (Humanitarian Activist), As’ad Aras (Humanitarian Activist), Rahendro Herubowo (Journalist), and Bambang Nuryono (Journalist),” the poster quoted from Chiki’s Instagram and reposted by GPCI. Five of the nine were abducted by the Israeli military (IDF) on the way to Gaza. Four were journalists and one was an activist. The abductees listed were Rahendro Herubowo, Andre Prasetyo Nugroho, Thoudy Badai, Bambang Noroyono (or Nuryono), and Andi Angga Prasadewa. Tempo TV producer Dheayu Jihan said the last communication with Andre was recorded on Sunday night around 22:42 WIB. At that time, Andre reported that he had entered a red zone. “Last night he contacted us and sent his coordinates, but I couldn’t calculate how far he was from his destination on the West Bank/Gaza,” he told reporters on Monday, 18 May 2026. Andre’s phone number remained active until around 14:00 WIB on Monday afternoon. The Tempo editorial team in Jakarta attempted to send a text message to monitor Andre’s condition. The message was delivered with two ticks but received no reply. The phone later appeared to be inactive when a subsequent message sent at 14:30 WIB showed only one tick. According to Jihan, there has been no further news on Andre’s whereabouts since then, until the Tempo editorial team received information from Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI) at 21:15 WIB. “GPCI reported that the ship on which Andre was aboard was intercepted by the Israeli military along with 24 other ships in the convoy when they were about 250 nautical miles from Gaza,” she said. In a separate development, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli troops’ actions in the strongest terms. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang urged the Israeli government to immediately release all ships and crew members involved in international humanitarian missions and to ensure the continuation of aid distribution to the Palestinian people in accordance with international humanitarian law. Additionally, the Foreign Ministry is preparing contingency plans for the repatriation of the nine Indonesians detained by Israel. She emphasised that protecting Indonesian citizens remains a government priority. Yvonne also noted that the government continues to engage with various parties to obtain the latest information on the Indonesian nationals’ condition.