TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not yet confirm the current wellbeing of the nine Indonesians detained by Israel while volunteering for the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.2 humanitarian mission. This statement follows footage showing alleged Israeli torture against the captured volunteers widely circulating on social media.
The Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection, Heni Hamidah, said the ministry only has limited information about the whereabouts of the volunteers. "The latest information we obtained indicates that they were taken to the Port of Ashdod," said Heni in Jakarta on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
The Port of Ashdod is one of the three major international ports in Israel, located about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv. Heni said captured volunteers are usually taken to this port for further interrogation and will subsequently be directed to the Chatcyo Immigration Detention Center once the process is completed.
But the government, Heni said, remains unable to confirm the details of both the GSF volunteers' position and condition, as well as the possibility of torture.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still verifying the position, condition, and communication access to the Indonesian citizens," she said.
Earlier, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir uploaded a video showing Israeli soldiers torturing the captured GSF volunteers. The video was uploaded through account X on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
The video showed a number of volunteers being detained by Israeli forces. One woman can be heard shouting "Free Palestine" before her head is pulled and forced to bow down, resembling a prostration position. The video also showed Ben-Gvir patrolling the abducted volunteers.
Read: Israel Frees Global Sumud Flotilla Detainees, Including 9 Indonesians
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