Tempo Journalist's Account of Detention by the Israeli Military

All Indonesian citizens abducted by Israel during the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 0.2 humanitarian mission to Gaza have been released and are currently transiting through Istanbul, Turkey, for screening before being repatriated to Indonesia. Tempo TV journalist Andre Prasetyo Nugroho, one of the abducted individuals, said they arrived in Istanbul on Thursday night, 21 May 2026, and are now undergoing medical checks ahead of their journey home. He said they sustained injuries as a result of torture by the Israeli military.

Andre told Tempo that the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Istanbul had begun providing assistance and that the group would receive treatment. In the interview, he also described conditions during captivity, noting that food and drink were not adequate and that several volunteers, including himself, undertook a hunger strike in protest against the violence they endured. “Drinking was scarce. Food consisted of bread and pastries. I was on hunger strike, so I only ate well on the plane earlier,” he said.

Andre, together with eight other Indonesians, was abducted by the Israeli military while their craft was in Cypriot waters in the Mediterranean Sea, en route to Gaza. They were volunteers with Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 0.2, delivering aid and seeking to challenge the Israeli blockade on Palestine.

Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI), the umbrella organisation for the GSF mission, stated that during the period of detention, several delegates reported to GPCI that they experienced violence and inhumane treatment. Reported abuses included beatings, the use of a taser gun, rubber bullets, insults, harassment, and the forced adoption of painful body positions.

Earlier, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video showing Israeli soldiers allegedly mistreating the GSF volunteers who were captured. The video, posted on X on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, shows several captured volunteers; one woman is heard shouting “Free Palestine” before her head is pulled and forced into a bowed, prostrating position. The video also shows Ben-Gvir walking around to monitor the captured volunteers.

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