South Africa Halts Palestinian Refugee Charter Flights
On Monday, South Africa declared it would stop accepting charter flights for Palestinian refugees. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola accused the Israeli government of aiming to “clear Gaza and the West Bank of Palestinians.”
Rumors began circulating in late October. A chartered flight was reported to have carried 176 Palestinians to South Africa. While the group had the necessary entry documents, they were provided with only a week of accommodation in Johannesburg. After their stay, they were left without further arrangements by an unnamed “benefactor.”
A second group of 153 Palestinians arrived on a Global Airlines flight from Kenya. They faced challenges as they had no exit stamps, return tickets, or accommodation plans. They were detained on the plane for 12 hours while South African authorities conducted background checks, apparently to ensure none were linked to Palestinian terrorist groups.
The Palestinians had no prior knowledge of where they were headed or who arranged their flights. The Palestinian embassy in South Africa stated that these refugees were “deceived” by an unidentified and unregistered organization that charged them for the flights but then disclaimed responsibility amid complications.
Initially, South Africa denied entry to the refugees, but President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed that the country should accept them “out of compassion,” noting Africans’ historical support for Palestinians.
Ramaphosa mentioned that many of these people were from Gaza and arrived unexpectedly via a flight that passed through Nairobi, hinting at possible ulterior motives behind their evacuation.
He added that South Africa’s intelligence and diplomatic services would assess the situation and determine the path forward.
The Israeli agency COGAT, which oversees civil affairs in Palestinian territories, later announced that refugees were allowed to depart Gaza after securing approval from third countries. Reports indicated that South Africa was the mentioned “third country,” although this recognition was potentially misrepresented by the arranging organization.
Typically, Palestinians can only leave Gaza if they are dual nationals, seek medical treatment, or possess valid visas. Since the outbreak of conflict on October 7, about 40,000 residents have been permitted to leave, primarily based on requests from foreign nations.
Accommodation for the refugees was facilitated by the NGO Gift of the Givers, which claimed to house 153 Palestinians, with some subsequently leaving for other destinations using their travel documents.
Initially, Gift of the Givers stated they were unaware of who was responsible for sending the Palestinians to South Africa. However, on November 11, they, along with other NGOs, accused the Israeli government of employing deceptive tactics to displace Palestinians.
The joint statement claimed that the initial group of 176 refugees faced severe deprivation, being forced to abandon their belongings and thus lacked essential items like toiletries and clothing.
In the following weeks, conflicting accounts from the Palestinians emerged, with many alleging they paid substantial fees to a mysterious company called Al Majid Europe. Some observers criticized the Israeli government, suggesting that the organization may have facilitated the secret relocation of Palestinians to South Africa post-conflict.
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, stated, “This is part of ethnic cleansing.” He lamented how various methods, including bombings, had been used to force residents out, suggesting that the Israeli authorities resorted to transporting people away when other measures failed.
Reports surfaced indicating Al Majid was established by an Israeli-Estonian citizen. Its online presence appeared minimal, with little public information about its leadership, despite claims of a history assisting disaster victims.
Despite being linked to possible volunteer departures coordinated by the Israeli military, the exact role of Al Majid remained unclear, as did the legitimacy of their operations.
South Africa’s Foreign Minister reiterated concerns that the flights might be part of an organized strategy to disperse Palestinians globally, although specific details or supporting evidence were not provided.
