South Africa has expressed deep suspicions regarding the recent arrival of a group of Palestinians, raising concerns about the circumstances surrounding their journey. The controversy stems from a chartered flight that landed at OR Tambo International Airport last Thursday, carrying 153 passengers from Gaza. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola described the flight as part of a ‘clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank,’ though Israeli authorities have yet to respond to these allegations. The Palestinian embassy in South Africa claimed the group departed from Israel’s Ramon Airport, transiting through Nairobi, Kenya, without prior coordination, and accused an ‘unregistered and misleading organization’ of exploiting the situation by deceiving families and facilitating irregular travel. Initially, the passengers were denied entry due to missing departure stamps in their passports, but after a 10-hour delay and intervention by a local charity, 130 were allowed to disembark. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa cited ’empathy and compassion’ as the reason for their eventual admission. Lamola suggested the flight was part of a broader effort to relocate Palestinians globally, with similar flights reportedly sent to other countries. This incident follows another flight two weeks earlier, which brought 176 Palestinians to Johannesburg, some of whom continued to other destinations. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously discussed ‘voluntarily’ resettling Palestinians from Gaza, a move criticized by Palestinians and human rights groups. South Africa, a long-time supporter of the Palestinian cause, has been vocal in its criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, even filing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The country’s historical solidarity with Palestine, rooted in its anti-apartheid struggle, has fueled widespread pro-Palestinian sentiment, though smaller pro-Israel demonstrations have also occurred. The situation remains under investigation, with South Africa continuing to scrutinize the motives behind these arrivals.
South Africa to refuse charter flights of Palestinians over fears of ‘cleansing agenda’
