Mysterious Flights Bring Palestinians to South africa, Sparking Investigation
south Africa is investigating the arrival of two chartered flights carrying a total of 329 Palestinians, raising concerns about a potential orchestrated relocation effort. The latest flight, arriving Thursday at Johannesburg’s airport from Nairobi, Kenya, carried 153 men, women, adn children. A previous flight landed on October 28th with 176 Palestinians.
The South African government has expressed strong opposition to what it perceives as a concerning pattern. “Africa strongly opposes,” the minister stressed, adding that the situation “appears to be part of a larger plan to move Palestinians from Palestine to different parts of the world, and it is clearly an orchestrated operation.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Friday an open investigation into the “mysterious” circumstances surrounding the arrivals. The passengers on the recent flight were initially detained by border police for over twelve hours due to a lack of exit stamps from Israel on their passports. They were ultimately granted entry after the South African NGO Gift of the Givers committed to providing care and accommodation.
According to Gift of the Givers, the Palestinians they are assisting reported paying approximately $2,000 per person to a company called Al-Majd for the journey, believing they were being transported to safety, with potential destinations including Indonesia, Malaysia, or India. Representative Sarah Oosthuizen stated the passengers were unaware they were headed to South Africa.
Of the 153 who arrived Thursday, 130 were issued 90-day temporary visas, while 23 opted for connecting flights to other locations.Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of gift of the Givers, confirmed the first flight on October 28th arrived under similar circumstances, with some passengers later leaving South Africa for a third country.
Passengers on both flights reportedly believed accommodation would be provided long-term, but it was only reserved for a week. Following their arrival, contact with Al-Majd was reportedly severed.
Attempts by AFP to contact Al-Majd thru numbers listed on their website were unsuccessful. Israeli authorities informed AFP that the 153 Palestinians were permitted to leave Gaza with “approval from a third country to welcome them,” but did not disclose the identity of that country.
South Africa, a vocal supporter of the palestinian cause and host of the G20 summit, filed a complaint against Israel with the International Court of Justice in late 2023, accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza. The conflict resonates strongly within South Africa, which has the largest Jewish community in sub-Saharan Africa.
