Instead, within the Mediterranean Sea, which should remain a peaceful route, the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 rendezvoused with Israeli military ships on Monday (May 18).
During the open daylight interception, 321 activists from 40 countries were detained, 39 ships were seized, and five Indonesian residents were amongst those detained in international waters off the coast of Cyprus. Currently, a minimum of 10 ships remain detained.
The organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described this moment in an official statement:
“Military ships are currently intercepting our fleet, and IOF forces are boarding the primary of our boats in broad daylight.”
Five Indonesians kidnapped, 4 still sailing
Nine Indonesian nationals are known to have joined the mission through the Global Peace Convoy in Indonesia (GPCI), carrying humanitarian aid in the shape of infant formula and food supplies to the people of Gaza.
Five of them are currently detained near Cypriot waters. The remaining 4 still proceed their journey and will potentially face similar interception.
Among the detained are 4 journalists: Bambang Noroyono from Republika, Thoudy Badai from Republika, Andre Prasetyo from TV Tempo and Rahendro Herubowo from iNews. The fifth detainee, Andi Angga, is an activist.
Republic’s official social media account also shared a recorded message from Bambang, showing him holding an Indonesian passport while calling on the federal government to take immediate motion.
“I would also like the government to continue to support Palestinian independence,” he said within the video.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang stated that the federal government cooperated with the Indonesian embassies in Cairo, Rome, Amman and Istanbul. Precautionary measures have also been prepared, including the issuance of temporary travel documents within the event of confiscation of Indonesians’ passports, in addition to medical assistance when needed.
Ten countries condemn interception
The incident sparked reactions far beyond Jakarta. The foreign ministers of ten countries, namely Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives and Spain, jointly condemned Israel’s actions.
They described the capture as a transparent violation of international law and international humanitarian law, while demanding the discharge of all detained activists.
On the opposite hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the move, calling the flotilla a “malicious plan” to interrupt the blockade imposed on Hamas.
This shouldn’t be the primary time such a fleet has been intercepted. On April 29, 22 ships were detained off Greece, and a number of other activists were reportedly beaten and a few suffered sexual harassment before they were ultimately deported.
The remaining ships later regrouped, added more ships to the convoy and entered international waters on Sunday for the ultimate leg of the journey to Gaza.
