South African authorities are investigating how a chartered plane arrived in Johannesburg carrying more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza without proper travel documents, forcing passengers to remain onboard for nearly 12 hours as officials tried to verify their identities and status. President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the probe Friday, describing the circumstances behind the flight as highly unusual and deeply concerning.
The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but immigration officials blocked the passengers from disembarking after interviews revealed they could not say where they were staying in South Africa or for how long. Authorities also noted the absence of Israeli-issued exit stamps or slips that would typically accompany anyone leaving Gaza. The delay prompted fierce criticism from nongovernmental organizations, who described dire conditions onboard and said the 153 passengers — among them families, children and a woman nine months pregnant — were left in extreme heat without food or water.
Ramaphosa said South Africa’s intelligence services were examining how the Palestinians traveled from Gaza to Johannesburg via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya. “These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” he said.
The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement that the passengers were exploited by “an unregistered and misleading organization” that took advantage of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis by collecting money and arranging travel “in an irregular and irresponsible manner.” The group denied responsibility once complications emerged, the embassy said. An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, said an organization called Al-Majd coordinated the departure of roughly 150 Palestinians, transporting them from a meeting point in Gaza to the Kerem Shalom crossing and onward to Ramon Airport in Israel before the group was flown out.
South African officials said 23 passengers continued to other countries while 130 were eventually allowed entry after intervention by the Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer of support from the humanitarian group Gift of the Givers. Ramaphosa said that despite the lack of official documents, the government would respond with compassion. “These are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of empathy, we must receive them,” he said.
Rights groups and some South African activists raised alarm over the shadowy operation, alleging it could represent an effort to push Palestinians out of Gaza. Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing civilian policy in the Palestinian territories. COGAT said the passengers left Gaza after Israel received approval from a third country willing to take them under a longstanding policy allowing Gaza residents to depart. It did not identify the country involved. Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under that program.
South Africa has been among the most outspoken critics of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and has accused Israel of genocide in a case before the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies the allegations and has condemned South Africa as acting on behalf of Hamas. Ramaphosa said it appeared Palestinians arriving in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, echoing concerns raised by two NGO leaders who linked the operation to Israeli-aligned groups. They provided no evidence for the claim, and COGAT did not respond to requests for comment.
Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman said the Palestinians on the latest flight were not told their destination and had received no food during the two-day journey. He also said this was the second unexplained arrival in recent weeks, following another plane carrying more than 170 Palestinians on Oct. 28 that authorities did not publicly announce.
The incident highlights the desperation of Palestinians after a two-year war that Gaza’s Health Ministry says has killed more than 69,000 people and ravaged nearly every corner of the territory. The toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, though the ministry says women and children make up more than half of those killed. A fragile ceasefire is currently in place.
Al-Majd Europe, an organization previously linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians, describes itself as a humanitarian group founded in Germany and based in Jerusalem. Its website lists no phone numbers or address, and its registration details are unclear. A message posted Friday warned that impersonators were soliciting money and cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” The group did not respond to a request for comment.
