Israeli authorities have announced that 153 Palestinians who suddenly appeared in South Africa, prompting questions from the president, had entry authorization from unnamed third countries.
Simi Zuaretz, a spokesperson for COGAT, the Israeli group that runs the Palestinian Authority’s civilian government, told Agence France-Presse on Saturday that they were only allowed to leave Gaza “after COGAT received approval from a third country to receive them.”
He did not name the country.
South African Border Police said the Palestinians were detained on the plane for 12 hours after arriving in Johannesburg on Thursday local time because their passports did not have exit stamps from Israel.
The Ministry of Interior finally allowed the passengers to disembark after NGOs announced they would provide accommodation for the passengers.
NGO Gift of the Givers told South African media that it did not know who chartered this or previous flights carrying 176 Gazans on October 28.
“Palestinians had no idea where they were being sent en masse and only realized they were coming to South Africa after arriving in Kenya. Some had visas for Canada, Australia and Malaysia, but were ultimately allowed to leave for those countries,” said Imtiaz Sooliman, Chairman and Founder of Gift of the Givers.
An Israeli official, who requested anonymity, told AFP that the organization coordinating the transfers had submitted third-country visas for all the evacuees to COGAT.
South Africa to investigate unexpected arrival
“They seem to have been washed away,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters on Friday.
“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously came here on a plane that passed through Nairobi,” he said.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said 130 of the group entered the country, while the remaining 23 boarded planes to other destinations.
Zuaretz said COGAT facilitates the exit of Gaza residents to host countries through Israel for patients in need of treatment, dual nationals and their families, “or for those holding visas to third countries.”
He further said that Israel “makes decisions solely on the basis of requests received from foreign countries” and that the evacuation of more than 40,000 Gaza residents has been facilitated since the war in Gaza began.
Mr Ramaphosa said South Africa’s intelligence agencies, the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation were currently assessing the situation.
He added: “We will do our due diligence and see what the future holds.”
Suspicion of irregular travel arrangements
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said in a statement that the Palestinian embassy informed the group that it had been deceived into paying money by an unspecified, unregistered group, which then “attempted to deny responsibility when problems arose.”
“It’s clear that we need to look at the origins[of the 130 Palestinians’ journey]where they started and why they were brought here,” Ramaphosa said.
“But… out of compassion and because they are the people that we South Africans have raised our hands to help, we felt that we should accept them,” he said.
South Africa, home to the largest Jewish community in sub-Saharan Africa, has primarily supported the Palestinian cause.
In 2023, the government sued Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
