Tangerang, May 25, 2026 – The Europe Today: Indonesia has strongly condemned the violence and detention carried out by Israeli forces against volunteers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 en route to the Gaza Strip on May 19, 2026, describing the incident as a violation of international law.
Sugiono stated on Sunday (May 24) that the actions taken against humanitarian volunteers and civilians constituted a clear breach of international legal norms.
“This is a violation of international law because civilians are providing humanitarian aid to Palestine,” he said, adding that any actions undermining human dignity must cease immediately and should never be repeated.
He emphasized that the mission carried out by GSF volunteers was purely humanitarian in nature and not an unlawful activity.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government successfully repatriated nine Indonesian citizens who were part of the GSF 2.0 mission after they had been detained by Israeli authorities.
Sugiono expressed appreciation for the support of multiple parties involved in the repatriation process, particularly the Government of Turkey, which assisted in facilitating their return.
“We express our appreciation to all participants in this humanitarian mission,” he noted.
The nine Indonesian nationals arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Sunday afternoon after completing the repatriation process.
According to official details, the evacuation was coordinated by Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with Indonesian diplomatic representatives as part of efforts to ensure citizen protection abroad.
The group was flown via Emirates Airlines from Istanbul to Dubai on May 23 at 7:35 p.m. local time, before continuing their journey to Jakarta on May 24 at 4:10 a.m., arriving in Indonesia at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Earlier reports indicated that vessels carrying Indonesian participants in the GSF 2.0 humanitarian mission were intercepted by Israeli military forces near Cypriot waters in the Eastern Mediterranean on May 18 and 19, 2026, before being detained in the city of Ashdod.
One of the Indonesian volunteers described alleged mistreatment during detention, claiming that participants were forcibly transferred to a military vessel and subjected to physical violence.
He stated that volunteers were “beaten and kicked” during detention and again during immigration processing in Ashdod Port.
