Ship attack: This video image released by the Turkish Aid group IHH Monday May 31, 2010 purports to show Israeli soldiers aboard a military vessel in international waters off the Gaza coast surrounding a Turkish ship. Israeli commandos on Monday stormed six ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists on an aid mission to the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing at least 9 people and wounding dozens after encountering unexpected resistance as the forces boarded the vessels. (AP Photo/IHH via APTN)
The Indonesian government has confirmed the safety of all 12 Indonesians who participated in the aid flotilla of the Mavi Marmara ship, which was stormed by Israel on Monday, killing at least nine activists.
“They’re all safe. No one died. Only one man is being treated at London Hospital in Haifa (Israel) for minor injuries,” Foreign Ministry director for justice and protection for Indonesian nationals told The Jakarta Post.
He said he received the information from the Indonesian Embassy in Amman, Jordan.
He said the government would immediately send them home after the Israeli government finished “interviewing them” and was ready to release them.
However, he said, the government was still in the dark over the identities of either the injured man or the rest of 11 Indonesians.
Among the Indonesians aboard the Mavi Marmara are Santi Soekanto, a former journalist of The Jakarta Post, and her husband Dzikrullah W Pramudya.
Meanwhile, family members and colleagues of Santi Soekanto and Dzikrullah say communication was broken off at dawn yesterday, around the time of the attack.
Amirul, Dzikrullah's younger brother, told The Jakarta Post by phone that he was chatting with the two, who were on board the mother ship Mavi Marmara, "but communication was on and off", since hours before dawn.
They had said an Israeli ship was seen following them, "showing off military equipment" and warning them to turn back.
But the passengers said they "were in international waters and Israel had no right to tell them to turn back."
Shortly after communication was broken off and TV footage from the Turkish aid NGO IHH showed Israeli soldiers climbing down on the deck by helicopter.
Amirul said he was comforting his parents who were distressed at the hordes of media people coming to their home in East Jakarta.
"Santi's family is also in panic" because a reporter called to confirm a report saying Santi was a victim, he said.
"Insya Allah (God willing), nothing's happened to them," he added, though he voiced concerns that the aid workers might be jailed or harassed before their release or deportation.
Israel says the passengers of the Freedom Flotilla were allies of Hamas and al Qaeda.
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