South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an investigation into the unexpected arrival of a chartered plane carrying 153 Palestinians from Gaza at OR Tambo International Airport. The group, initially denied entry due to missing departure stamps in their passports, was stranded on the plane for over 10 hours. Following intervention by local charity Gift of the Givers and the government’s ’empathy and compassion,’ most were eventually allowed into the country. The circumstances of their departure from Gaza and travel to South Africa remain unclear. Israeli military body Cogat stated that the group left Gaza with approval from a third country, while the Palestinian embassy in South Africa accused an unregistered organization of exploiting the situation and facilitating irregular travel. Of the 153 passengers, 23 continued to other destinations, leaving 130 in South Africa. Ramaphosa emphasized that the government would conduct a ‘proper evaluation’ of the incident and update the public. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber clarified that while Palestinian passport-holders qualify for visa-exempt access, the lack of certain documentation initially led to the refusal. Once it was confirmed that the travelers did not intend to seek asylum and their accommodation was secured, they were granted entry. South African civil societies have called for investigations into the conditions the Palestinians fled and the aircraft’s route. One Palestinian expressed relief at being in South Africa, describing it as a country of ‘peace, laws, and justice.’ Gift of the Givers has criticized the treatment of the group at the airport and called for an investigation into the home affairs ministry and border authority. South Africa has long supported the Palestinian cause, with recent pro-Palestinian marches and a case filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice accusing it of genocide in Gaza.