South Africa will investigate the “mysterious” arrival of 153 Palestinians who were held on a charter flight at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo airport for about 12 hours after border police said they lacked travel documents, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
The group arrived on a Global Airways charter from Kenya on Thursday and, according to immigration authorities, had no departure stamps, return tickets or accommodation details. Border officials said none had sought asylum, which prompted their initial refusal of entry. A pastor allowed to visit the aircraft while it was on the tarmac described unbearably hot conditions with children screaming and crying. The humanitarian group Gift of the Givers intervened to provide accommodation and assistance; authorities then cleared 130 people to enter on the standard 90-day visa exemption, while 23 had already left for other destinations. It remains unclear where their journey began. Travel out of Gaza or the occupied West Bank is difficult.
“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa told reporters, adding they were admitted “out of compassion” and that the origins and reasons for their travel would be investigated. Gift of the Givers said this was the second plane carrying Palestinians to South Africa in two weeks. Its founder, Imtiaz Sooliman, said many passengers only realised they were being sent to South Africa when the flight reached Kenya; some had visas for Canada, Australia and Malaysia and were later allowed to continue to those countries.
The Palestinian embassy in South Africa accused an unregistered and misleading organisation of exploiting Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, deceiving families, collecting money and arranging irregular travel. The pastor who boarded the plane told national broadcaster SABC the conditions were “excruciatingly hot” with many distressed children.
The incident has renewed debate over South Africa’s stance on the Gaza war. The country, which hosts the largest Jewish community in sub-Saharan Africa, has been critical of Israel’s campaign and filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in 2023. Solidarity movements inspired by South Africa’s anti-apartheid history organise support, boycotts and aid for Palestinians. The delay on the tarmac prompted criticism that the government was slow to act; others expressed concerns about the flights’ opaque nature and potential national security implications.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber later said none of the travellers had applied for asylum and that, once officials were satisfied the lack of itinerary elements would not leave them destitute and there were no asylum claims, they were admitted under the usual 90-day visa exemption subject to standard conditions.
