Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – After four days at sea attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and another four confined inside an overcrowded container turned prison by Israeli forces, 24-year-old activist Hendro Prasetyo said he returned with many emotions, but fear was not among them. What grew instead, he said, was outrage and determination.
Earlier in March, Hendro, a member of the Islamic humanitarian group SMART 171, was invited to join the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) convoy, a humanitarian mission carrying symbolic aid to Gaza while seeking to draw global attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian exclave.
Having followed reports of Israeli violations against Palestinians for years, Hendro decided to join the mission despite understanding the risks faced by previous Gaza-bound convoys. On May 14, he boarded the Kasr-1, one of around 50 vessels departing from Turkey as part of the flotilla, after undergoing training on how to respond if intercepted by Israeli forces.
So when news spread on May 18 through the convoy's group chat that Israeli forces had begun intercepting several vessels near Cyprus, including one carrying three Indonesians, Hendro's ship immediately changed course in an attempt to avoid capture. The effort failed. A day later, Israeli forces boarded the Kasr-1.
Communication devices were confiscated and mobile phones thrown into the sea, immediately cutting activists off from the outside world.
"They were immediately aggressive," Hendro told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday on the sidelines of an event held by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to mark the safe return of the nine Indonesian participants involved in the convoy.
"The violence carried out by Israeli forces was not only physical, but also psychological," he said.
Instead of being transferred to formal detention facilities, as had happened in previous flotilla missions, hundreds of activists were reportedly rounded up and confined inside two shipping containers converted into makeshift prisons.
Detainees said torture, physical violence, sexual abuse and restricted access to food and water became part of daily life during the four days in custody.
'Welcome to Israel'
While Israeli authorities have denied allegations of abuse, international skepticism has grown following hundreds of testimonies from released activists, alongside video footage posted by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showing restrained detainees being taunted.
The video, captioned "Welcome to Israel", sparked widespread condemnation and prompted several Israeli officials to distance themselves from the incident, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who later said the actions were "not in line with Israeli norms and values".
Herman Budianto Sudarsono of Islamic philanthropy organization Dompet Dhuafa, who was aboard the Zapyro vessel intercepted on the first day of Israeli operation, said "there was hardly any part of [his] body that wasn't hit or kicked" during detention.
He said verbal humiliation, forced physical exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups, and prolonged stress positions, including kneeling with bound feet and tied hands as shown in Ben-Gvir's footage, were among the lighter forms of mistreatment he witnessed.
"They electrocuted my rib area, which continues to give me breathing difficulties. My knees remain swollen and they struck the back of my neck with force," Herman said.
"There were also many cases of sexual abuse, with around 52 assaults in my container, ranging in severity, including cases of rape," he continued.
Convoy organizer GSF said on Saturday that preliminary screening of participants had identified at least 15 cases of sexual assault, including rape, among detainees.
Moments of rest were rare, Herman said, with spaces designed for around 12 people forced to hold up to 30 detainees overnight. Mattresses and blankets were unavailable despite cold nighttime temperatures.
Hendro, who was more reluctant to describe the violence he personally experienced or witnessed, said an informal hierarchy of suffering emerged among activists inside the container, with those perceived to have endured the worst abuse given priority to lie down
"Others, who didn't suffer as badly, must unfortunately sleep while standing up," he continued.
Nothing compared with Gaza
Herman said the abuse continued until the moment detainees were released on Thursday, when activists were loaded into the backs of enclosed trucks without explanation. Packed into hot, cramped spaces with little ventilation and no indication of where they were being taken, many focused simply on staying calm.
"The Israelis are experts at stressing people out," Herman said.
Hours later, when the truck doors finally opened and activists saw airport runways, relief quickly spread as many began discussing how to contact their families once they reached Turkey.
After more than a week marked by uncertainty, violence and psychological stress, activists returned home carrying different forms of trauma. Herman broke down several times while recounting his experience.
Others, like Hendro, said the experience only strengthened their resolve, insisting that what they endured was insignificant compared with the suffering faced daily by Palestinians in Gaza.
"Our return was always guaranteed by the GSF organizers. Palestinians in detention, more than 9,000 people, have no such guarantees and continue to face torture every day," Hendro said.
"I have no fear in me. I only have outrage, especially now that I've seen what Palestinians have been subjected to for years."
Source: https://asianews.network/inside-israels-container-prison-indonesians-recount-beatings-abuse