South Africa probing origin of sudden constitution flight carrying 153 Palestinians

[ad_1] JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — South Africa granted entry to 130 Palestinians with out journey papers after initially barring them, however mentioned it is going to look at accusations that an unregistered group organized their journey “in an irregular and irresponsible method.”

South Africa has lengthy supported Palestinian aspirations to statehood and filed a case towards Israel on the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice in 2023, accusing it of genocide within the Gaza conflict. Israel has denied the accusations.

A bunch of 153 Palestinians arrived at Johannesburg airport on a chartered World Airways flight from Kenya on Thursday with out departure stamps, return tickets or particulars of lodging, in accordance with border authorities.

They mentioned not one of the Palestinians had utilized for asylum, resulting in their preliminary denial of entry.

In line with the Haaretz each day, the group left Gaza early Wednesday morning, through the Strip’s southern Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, following Israeli vetting.

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By signing up, you comply with the terms Members of the group have been then taken by bus to Israel’s Ramon Airport, close to Eilat, the place they boarded a chartered aircraft to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and from there boarded the chartered flight to Johannesburg.

Humanitarian group Reward of the Givers intervened to supply lodging and assist and authorities then cleared 130 members of the group for entry beneath an ordinary 90-day visa exemption, whereas 23 had already departed for different locations.

“The Palestinians had no thought the place they have been bundled off to, solely when in Kenya did they understand they have been coming to South Africa. Some had visas for Canada, Australia and Malaysia, they have been ultimately permitted to depart for these international locations,” mentioned Imtiaz Sooliman, chair and founding father of Reward of the Givers.

South Africa will not let refugees from Gaza depart the aircraft at Johannesburg airport tarmac. The Gazans have uploaded clips of their households stranded contained in the aircraft. pic.twitter.com/9OaViti79j

— Ahmed Quraishi (@_AhmedQuraishi) November 13, 2025

Sooliman mentioned the remaining choices within the meantime have been for them to “transfer to a rustic of their selection if that nation accepts them, have a short lived short-stay visa for South Africa, a customer’s visa for 90 days which may be renewed a number of occasions, a pupil visa for research functions, or apply for asylum.”

Nonetheless, the South African Zionist Federation on Friday referred to as Sooliman’s allegation a “calculated distortion weaponized to inflame outrage over info,” given Israel makes use of digital visas as a substitute of bodily passport stamps.

Israel’s Coordinator of Authorities Actions within the Territories (COGAT), which oversees the stream of individuals and items to and from Gaza, informed the Haaretz each day that the Palestinians had obtained visas from South Africa forward of time. COGAT was additionally cited by the newspaper as saying that, as a rule, Israel all the time makes certain that there's a nation that can settle for Gazans departing the Strip.

South Africa’s inside ministry mentioned the Palestinian Authority’s embassy within the nation had informed it the group was deceived and charged cash by an unspecified unregistered group, which later “tried to disown any duty as soon as problems arose.

“We clearly want to have a look at the origins (of the 130 Palestinians’ journey), the place it began, the rationale why they’ve been introduced right here,” President Cyril Ramaphosa informed reporters.

“However … out of compassion, and since they're a people who we as South Africa have raised our palms to assist, we felt that we should always settle for them,” he mentioned.

Ramaphosa mentioned South African intelligence businesses, the Division of Dwelling Affairs, and the Division of Worldwide Relations and Cooperation have been now assessing the state of affairs.

“We're going to do a correct analysis and see what the long run portends,” he added.

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