TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Human rights activist from Indonesia, Hendro Prasetyo, recalls the moments when Israeli military intercepted dozens of vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla in the Mediterranean waters in mid-May 2026. Hendro and another Indonesian citizen, Asad Aras, were aboard the Kasri Sadabad ship.
The ship carrying Hendro and Aras was intercepted by Israel on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Hendro explained that before the Israeli military detained the Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers without due process, a low-flying drone was seen near the ship.
As the drone approached the ship, all access to the ship was halted by the crew. He mentioned that the passengers immediately put on life jackets.
"Our communication devices were thrown overboard, we had to discard them because of concerns that Israel might use them, and all the information would be compromised," he said at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
Shortly after, a dinghy carrying Israeli soldiers approached the ship of the Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers. They were then forcibly taken by the Israeli troops to the main ship, where hundreds of Global Sumud Flotilla activists were detained.
"They were all placed into containers on two ships. So, there were two large ships with four containers in total," Hendro said.
He recounted that during their abduction and detention in the containers, they were subjected to various forms of torture, ranging from beatings, kicks, to electric shocks. Hendro stated that these acts of torture were carried out by Israel against all the Global Sumud Flotilla activists.
"Everyone experienced violent acts, from young people to older men and women," he said.
He mentioned that the violence they experienced was not only physical. He stated that the Israeli military also inflicted mental violence upon them.
"They (Israel) used bombs that were detonated towards the containers to disturb us," he said. He continued that the sound of the explosions was constantly heard in the morning and at night.
All Indonesian citizens abducted by Israel had been repatriated to Indonesia on Sunday afternoon, May 24, 2026. They had previously been flown to Istanbul, Turkey, for health checks before their return to the homeland.
Read: Global Sumud Flotilla: Indonesian Journalist Describes Israeli Abuse
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