JOHANNESBURG/GAZA CITY: A mysterious scheme moving Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa has sparked international concern, with activists alleging Israel is coordinating the displacement of residents from the besieged Palestinian territory.
According to details more than 150 Palestinians from Gaza arrived in South Africa under mysterious circumstances.
South African authorities reported that the group, which included families and one woman nine months pregnant, landed at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday after a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.
Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, alleged the passengers appeared to have been “flushed out” of Gaza.
The passengers were initially held onboard for nearly 12 hours as officials verified their documents. Most were eventually allowed entry after intervention from the charity Gift of the Givers and confirmation of their accommodation.
“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
“Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them.”
Shadowy organisation and Israeli role
The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa described the flight as arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organisation that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner.”
An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, said the operation involved a group called Al-Majd, which arranged buses to transport Palestinians from a meeting point in Gaza to Israel’s Ramon Airport, where the passengers were flown out.
The official said Israel’s military escorted the buses and that the flight had approval from a third country to receive the Palestinians, without naming the country.
Al-Majd Europe describes itself as a humanitarian organisation founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem.
Its website lists no office phone numbers or exact address, and some images on the site appear to be generated by artificial intelligence. Attempts to contact Al-Majd for comment were unsuccessful, Al Jazeera reported.
Charity founder Imtiaz Sooliman of Gift of the Givers told South African broadcaster SABC that this was the second flight organised under mysterious circumstances, with passengers not initially informed of their destination and deprived of food during the journey.
Humanitarian situation in Gaza
The Palestinian Authority has warned its citizens to be cautious of intermediaries that may be exploiting their displacement.
“The ministry calls upon our people, especially our people in the Gaza Strip, to exercise caution and not fall prey to human trafficking, to merchants and companies of blood, and to agents of displacement,” the Palestinian Authority said.
Al Jazeera reported that at least as far back as May, Al-Majd Europe had advertised travel opportunities for Palestinians facing starvation and Israeli bombardment, prompting concerns that Israel may be encouraging the displacement of Gaza residents.
International reactions and investigations
South African authorities said 130 Palestinians were admitted into the country, while 23 were transferred onward to other destinations.
The travellers received 90-day visas, and the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed they did not apply for asylum.
President Ramaphosa said that South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating the origins and organisation of the flight.
Meanwhile, civil society groups in the country have called for inquiries into the conditions Palestinians endured in Gaza and the route of the aircraft.
The Palestinian embassy in Pretoria expressed “deep appreciation” for the support of South African authorities, noting the decision to grant temporary visas to people who endured “over two years of Israeli genocidal war, killing, displacement, and destruction.”
Forced displacement of Palestinians
Human rights activists and analysts have raised concerns that the transit could be part of a broader policy by Israel to remove Palestinians from Gaza.
Antony Loewenstein, author of The Palestine Laboratory, said the scheme may have been operating for weeks or months, with Palestinians moved “without stamping their passports, in order to leave them stranded in third countries.”
The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) stated that Palestinians left Gaza after approval from a third country as part of an Israeli policy to allow Gaza residents to depart, without naming the country.
Israel have reportedly pressed other nations to accept displaced Palestinians.
Situation in Gaza
The situation comes amid a fragile ceasefire following a two-year Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza, which has killed over 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
South Africa has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, filing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in 2023, which Israel has strongly rejected.
