JOHANNESBURG (AP) - South Africa's intelligence services are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding a chartered flight that landed in Johannesburg carrying over 150 Palestinians from war-torn Gaza. These individuals lacked proper travel documentation, resulting in them remaining on the tarmac for approximately 12 hours, as stated by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.
The plane arrived at O.R. Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning. However, the passengers were not permitted to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews revealed that they could not provide information on their intended stay in South Africa. The Palestinian passengers did not possess exit stamps or documentation typically issued by Israeli authorities when departing Gaza.
The initial actions of South African authorities, who prevented the passengers from leaving the plane, faced severe criticism from various non-governmental organizations. They expressed concerns that the 153 Palestinians, including families with children and a nine-month-pregnant woman, were subjected to inhumane conditions onboard, suffering from extreme heat and lack of food and water.
President Ramaphosa announced an investigation to determine how the Palestinians arrived in South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya. He remarked, “These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here.”
The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa indicated in a statement that the flight was organized by “an unregistered and misleading organization" that exploited the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, deceived families, charged them money, and facilitated their irregular travel. Although they did not disclose the organization’s name, an anonymous Israeli military official pointed out that the flight was arranged by a group called Al-Majd.
According to the official, Israeli forces assisted by escorting buses organized by Al-Majd from a designated meeting point in Gaza to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where the Palestinians were then transported to Ramon Airport in Israel for their flight to South Africa.
South African authorities reported that of the 153 Palestinians, 23 had continued their journey to other countries without specifying which ones. The remaining 130 were eventually allowed to stay in South Africa after intervention from the Ministry of Home Affairs and an NGO called Gift of the Givers, which offered accommodation for them.
President Ramaphosa stated that, despite lacking the necessary documentation, the Palestinian individuals were victims of a conflict-ravaged nation, and out of compassion, South Africa would assist them in navigating their situation.
The secretive nature of the flight raised concerns among human rights organizations, leading to suspicions about an orchestrated effort by the Israeli government to remove Palestinians from Gaza. In response to inquiries, Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which explained that the Palestinians had received approval from an unidentified third country to depart Gaza, as part of an Israeli government policy. This policy reportedly allowed around 40,000 people to leave Gaza since the onset of the current war.
The South African government has consistently been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has condemned Israel's actions against Palestinians, asserting that the recent influx of Palestinian individuals underscores the desperate humanitarian crisis faced by those in Gaza. Over 69,000 Palestinians have died due to the ongoing conflict, as reported by Gaza's Health Ministry, and the territory has been devastated as a result of the warfare.
Al-Majd Europe is described as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem, which claims to support and rescue Muslim communities in conflict areas. However, the organization failed to provide contact information on its website and acknowledged that it had been impersonated by others attempting to solicit funds under false pretenses.
The arrival of these Palestinians in South Africa has drawn international scrutiny and debate surrounding the political implications and humanitarian considerations of their transportation amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
