Strong Condemnation of the Hijacking of a Ship and the Abduction of 9 Indonesian Humanitarian Activists and Hundreds of Global Delegates from the Sumud Flotilla by Israeli Occupation Forces
Jakarta, May 20, 2026
We at the Zakat Forum (FOZ), representing zakat management institutions, express our deep concern and outrage over the arbitrary actions of the Israeli occupation military forces against the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 humanitarian fleet.
This humanitarian mission is widely supported by the global community. A total of 50 humanitarian ships set sail from various points in the Mediterranean Sea. The flotilla carried 337 humanitarian activists and journalists from various countries, 9 of whom were humanitarian activists from Indonesia representing zakat administrators and humanitarian journalists.
However, based on the latest information as of May 19, 2026, at 9:02 PM WIB, Israeli occupation forces have intercepted and forcibly hijacked these 40 humanitarian ships in international waters. As of the release of this statement, more than 100 activists have been arrested and abducted, including 9 Indonesian humanitarian activists.
We affirm that all the medical, food, and logistical aid forcibly seized constitutes a trust entrusted by the people of Indonesia. The seizure of this fleet is not merely a routine detention of supplies, but a form of deprivation of the Palestinian people’s right to life and an affront to the goodwill, sacrifice, and solidarity of the global community, including Indonesia.
These repressive actions constitute a direct threat to the humanitarian mission and a clear violation of international humanitarian law. The Israeli occupying military’s actions directly violate Article 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) as well as Additional Protocol I, Articles 70 and 71, which mandate absolute protection for humanitarian workers and the obligation to facilitate unimpeded access to aid routes.
This deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid supplies directly exacerbates the humanitarian crisis and the threat of starvation in Gaza, Palestine, and undermines the fundamental principles of universal humanity upheld by all civilized nations.
Based on the legal considerations and fundamental humanitarian principles outlined above, and in response to the emergency situation that blatantly threatens the safety of volunteers and exacerbates the suffering of the Palestinian people, the Zakat Forum (FOZ), as a representation of the conscience and solidarity of Indonesian civil society, hereby declares the following stance:
1. Strongly Condemning the Hijacking of Humanitarian Missions
We condemn in the strongest terms the interception and hijacking of 40 humanitarian ships in international waters. We demand that the entire fleet, along with the aid entrusted by the Indonesian people, be returned intact so that the humanitarian mission for the Palestinian people can be resumed immediately.
2. Demanding the Immediate Release of 9 Indonesian Activists
We urge the Israeli occupying authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the more than 100 detained humanitarian delegates, particularly the 9 Indonesian humanitarian activists. Their physical and mental safety is the absolute responsibility of those currently detaining them.
3. Urging Emergency Action by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia
Requesting the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to immediately take urgent, firm, and progressive diplomatic steps in various global forums to ensure the safety and release of these humanitarian activists, as a concrete manifestation of fulfilling the constitutional mandate in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution to “protect the entire Indonesian nation and all Indonesian blood.”
4. Proactive Coordination by the Alliance
The Zakat Forum, together with other humanitarian groups, has been and will continue to coordinate intensively with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the Global Sumud Flotilla team to monitor developments and seek the immediate release of all activists.
5. Urging Protection of Global Humanitarian Access
We call upon the United Nations (UN) and the international community to take concrete steps to halt all forms of intimidation against humanitarian activities, and to ensure the opening of safe maritime and land humanitarian corridors.
6. Call for Solidarity and Joint Vigilance
We call upon the entire public and all elements of the humanitarian movement to offer their best prayers, maintain solidarity, and continue to advocate for the release of the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian activists, while steadfastly supporting all efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, whether by sea or land.
We hereby issue this statement of position as a manifestation of our moral and humanitarian responsibility. We call upon all Indonesian citizens to never tire of supporting every humanitarian action, while simultaneously flooding social media spaces with narratives of humanitarian solidarity and full support for the freedom of the Palestinian people.
Contact:
Agus Budiyanto – Executive Director of FOZ – 0812 1000 783
FORUM ZAKAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE 2024–2027 TERM
Wildhan Dewayana
Chairman
Udhi Tri Kurniawan
Secretary General