The mystery of the plane that arrived in South Africa carrying dozens of Palestinians

The Palestinian embassy in South Africa said the group took off from Israel’s Ramon Airport “without prior notice or coordination” and entered the country via the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

“Unregistered and deceptive organizations took advantage of the tragic humanitarian situation of the people of the Gaza Strip, defrauded families, collected funds and facilitated travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner,” the embassy statement said.

The BBC has contacted the Kenyan government for comment.

South African authorities said 23 of the 153 passengers were able to fly to other destinations and 130 were allowed to enter the country.

During an event in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Ramaphosa said he had been informed about the arrival of the Palestinians by the interior minister.

In response to the report, the president reportedly said, “We cannot refuse them.” news 24.

“I don’t have the necessary documents, but I am from a country that has been devastated by war and conflict.”

According to public broadcaster SABC, the South African president also told reporters that the government would thoroughly assess the matter and report back on how this situation arose.

Interior Minister Leon Shriver has declared that Palestinian passport holders meet the requirements to enter South Africa visa-free for 90 days.

However, some travelers were initially denied entry because their documents did not include exit stamps, round-trip tickets, or accommodation addresses.

It was determined that the lack of this information “does not indicate that the traveler wishes to apply for asylum” and once accommodation was confirmed, entry was allowed.

“All travelers have valid passports and so far no one has applied for asylum,” he said.

South African charity Gift of the Givers has announced it will provide the group with accommodation in the country.

South African civil society groups called for an investigation into the circumstances under which Palestinians were evacuated from Gaza and the exact route of the plane.

In an interview with local broadcaster eNCA TV, one Palestinian expressed relief at being in South Africa, saying it was a country of “peace, law and justice.”

“We came from Gaza, where we lived close to death every day. We survived two years of war and are lucky to be here,” said the man, who evacuated with his wife and two children.

The Giver’s Gift called on Ramaphosa to investigate the interior ministry and border authorities for “humiliating” Palestinians.

Imtiaz Sooliman, the group’s founder, said the treatment included waiting on airport tarmacs for hours, refusing to serve meals provided by the group and using “all kinds of pretexts to prevent passengers from disembarking.”

South Africa has harshly criticized Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The country’s sympathy for the Palestinian struggle for an independent state goes back many years, particularly to the early 1990s when the anti-terrorism icon Palestine was active. apartheidNelson Mandela pledged support to the Palestinian cause.

Since the conflict began, large marches in support of the Palestinians and smaller rallies in support of Israel have been held in South Africa.

South Africa has the largest Jewish community in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2023, the South African government sued Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide in Gaza.

Israel strongly rejected this argument as “groundless.”

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