JERUSALEM (VINnews) — South African intelligence is investigating how a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg last Thursday brought more than 150 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip without valid travel documents. The passengers were held on the tarmac for about 12 hours before they were finally allowed to enter the country.
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Ynet reported that civil society groups harshly criticized South African authorities, claiming that 153 Palestinians, including families with children, were kept in extremely harsh conditions on board the plane in the hot sun without food or water.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation had been launched to determine the source of the incident on the plane, which passed over Nairobi, Kenya.
“These are people who were mysteriously transported here from Gaza via Nairobi.”
The Palestinian embassy in South Africa said the flight was organized by an “unregistered and misleading organization” exploiting desperation in the Gaza Strip. They said: “The organization took advantage of the dire situation of people in the Gaza Strip, defrauded families, collected money and arranged travel irresponsibly. When complications arose, it withdrew.”
The Associated Press reported that Israeli military officials said a group called al-Majid was responsible for taking more than 150 Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip. He said Israel escorted buses carrying passengers from the assembly point in Gaza to the Kerem Shalom crossing, from where other buses transported them to Ramon airport, from where they departed.
South African authorities said 23 passengers had traveled to other countries and 130 were allowed to enter South Africa following intervention from the Department of Home Affairs. President Ramaphosa made this clear:
“They don’t have the necessary documents, but they come from war-torn lands, destroyed countries, and we must embrace them with compassion and empathy.”
COGAT, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, told The Associated Press that the Palestinians left the Gaza Strip after Israel received approval from a third country to host them, but did not name the country. Under this framework, approximately 40,000 Palestinians have left Gaza since the start of the war.
Ynet also reported that two South African NGO representatives claimed, without providing evidence, that Al Majid had ties to Israel and was working to drive Palestinians from the Strip.
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, an aid group that supports refugees, told The Associated Press that this was already the second such flight, following another mysterious flight in late October carrying more than 170 Palestinians that was not reported to authorities. He said the passengers were “frightened, confused and unsure of where they were flying. They were not given anything to eat or drink during the two-day flight. This needs to be investigated.”
Luai Abu Saif, a Gazan who emigrated with his wife and child, told Al Jazeera about his mysterious journey. He said his wife registered the family for the flight after seeing a social media post that prioritized families with children who had valid travel documents and Israeli security permits. He said he knew nothing about the organization or selection criteria. I didn’t even know the departure date until 24 hours before.
“They told us not to pack anything and not to bring bags or suitcases. Only bring relevant documents,” he said.
He said each family had to pay a total of about $1,400 to $2,000 per person, including children and infants. When the family was informed that it was time to leave, they boarded a bus in Rafah and headed to Ramon Airport via the Kerem Shalom crossing to begin their journey to South Africa. Their passports were not stamped upon entry or exit from Israel.
Abu Saif said the whole journey was “a journey of suffering. No organization persuaded us to leave Gaza, but we were told that once we reached our destination they would help us for a week or two, and then we would be free on our own.”
He added that he didn’t even know what his final destination was. They first landed in Nairobi, Kenya, and from there boarded another plane to Johannesburg, South Africa. Only when they took off for the second time did they realize where they were going.
