Last Contact With Tempo Journalist Before Israel Intercepted GSF

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tempo journalist Andre Prasetyo Nugroho was reported missing in contact near waters off Gaza after the humanitarian logistics vessel he was aboard, Ozgurluk, was intercepted by the Israeli military on Monday, May 18, 2026.

The Ozgurluk vessel was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2026 convoy, which sailed to deliver humanitarian aid in an effort to break the blockade on Gaza.

Tempo TV producer Dheayu Jihan said the last communication with Andre took place on Sunday night at around 10:42 PM Jakarta time. During the exchange, Andre reported that the vessel had begun entering what he described as a “red zone.”

“Last night was the last contact. He sent the coordinates of his position, but I could not calculate how far he was from the coast of Gaza,” Jihan told Tempo on Monday, May 18, 2026.

Andre’s phone number was still detected as active until around 02:00 PM Jakarta time on Monday. Tempo’s editorial team in Jakarta attempted to contact him by text message to monitor his condition.

The messages initially showed as delivered, but there was no reply. By 02:30 PM, Andre’s phone could no longer be reached.

According to Jihan, there had been no further information about Andre’s whereabouts until the editorial team received a report from the Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI) at 09:15 PM.

“GPCI reported that the ship carrying Andre was intercepted by the Israeli military along with 24 other vessels in the convoy when they were about 250 nautical miles from Gaza,” she said.

Jihan explained that Andre began his journey to cover the humanitarian mission to Gaza on April 29, 2026. He first flew from Jakarta to Istanbul before continuing by land for around 12 hours to the Port of Marmaris in southwestern Türkiye.

At the port, the vessel’s departure was repeatedly delayed due to security concerns and strict screening procedures for volunteers.

Andre initially faced the possibility of being unable to join the mission because his name was not included on the list of approved volunteers allowed to sail. However, after lengthy negotiations, he eventually secured a place aboard the Ozgurluk vessel.

On board, Andre traveled alongside two other Indonesian journalists — Thoudy Badai Rifan Billah from Republika and Rahendro Herubowo from iNews. The vessel reportedly departed on Thursday, May 12, local time.

Entering the sixth day of the voyage, Jihan said conditions aboard the ship became increasingly tense as the convoy approached Gaza waters.

On Saturday, May 16 — two days before the interception — Andre informed the Tempo newsroom in Jakarta that the vessel had entered an emergency interception protocol in anticipation of a possible attack.

Meanwhile, Maimon Herawati, coordinator of the board of directors of the Global Peace Convoy Indonesia, said the humanitarian mission involved around 450 volunteers.

Nine of them were Indonesians representing humanitarian organizations including Dompet Dhuafa, Rumah Zakat, Spirit of Aqsa, SMART 171, as well as journalists from Republika, iNews, and Tempo.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli military’s interception of the international humanitarian mission convoy Global Sumud Flotilla.

The ministry also called on Israel to immediately release all vessels and crew members detained during the operation.

“We will continue communicating with various related parties to obtain the latest information regarding the condition of Indonesian citizens, while also preparing contingency measures, including facilitating protection and accelerating repatriation if necessary,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang told Tempo on Monday night.

Read: TV Tempo Journalist Sends SOS After Israeli Interception

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