South Africa Probes ‘Suspicious’ Arrival of 153 Palestinians gaza from Conflict Zone
London, UK – November 16, 2025
A major international mystery and diplomatic incident has unfolded in Pretoria, South Africa, after a chartered flight carrying 153 Palestinians from Gaza landed unexpectedly in Johannesburg without proper travel documentation, immediately sparking a high-level government investigation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Border Management Authority (BMA) have launched a probe to determine the origin and logistics of the flight, which many fear may be connected to an unregistered network seeking to exploit the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza to push a displacement agenda.
The suspicious arrival highlights the fraught political dynamics surrounding the movement of Palestinians out of the conflict zone.
The flight landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Thursday morning, having transited through Nairobi, Kenya.
The 153 passengers—a group comprising men, women, and children, including a woman who was nine months pregnant—were detained on the plane on the tarmac for over 12 hours.
The BMA Commissioner, Michael Masiapato, stated that the group was initially denied entry because of significant discrepancies:
they lacked the customary departure stamps from Israeli authorities in their passports, could not specify their duration of stay, and had no return tickets or details of their accommodation in South Africa.
The Role of the ‘Unregistered Organisation’
The incident was quickly complicated by conflicting accounts of how the journey was arranged. The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa issued an urgent statement, condemning the travel arrangements.
The embassy explicitly stated that the flight was organized by an “unregistered and misleading organisation” that had “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.”
The group was accused of attempting to disown all responsibility when complications arose at the South African border.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly acknowledged the controversy, saying the Palestinians were “mysteriously” put on the plane and that it appeared they were being “flushed out” of Gaza.
One of the passengers, Loay Abu Saif, was quoted saying that Israel had helped facilitate the group’s transfer and that he and his family left Gaza without knowing their final destination until the second leg of the flight from Nairobi.
An Israeli military official later stated that the departure was facilitated after receiving approval from an unnamed third country to receive them. The coordination was reportedly handled by an organisation known as Al-Majd.
This confluence of unregulated movement, humanitarian desperation, and suspected irregular facilitation has fueled fears of a covert displacement scheme.
The Humanitarian Intervention and Resolution
The lengthy detention of the passengers on the plane, which was reported to be extremely hot and without adequate food or water, drew immediate condemnation from local human rights organizations.
The situation was resolved only after the intervention of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, a major South African humanitarian aid group. The founder, Imtiaz Sooliman, offered to provide accommodation and care for the travellers.
On humanitarian grounds and with the backing of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the BMA ultimately cleared the entry of 130 of the Palestinians under the standard 90-day visa exemption enjoyed by Palestinian passport holders in South Africa.
The remaining 23 individuals had already been cleared to transit to other final destinations, with some reportedly holding visas for countries including Canada, Australia, and Malaysia.
Despite the resolution of entry, the South African government has vowed that the intelligence agency and the Department of Home Affairs will continue to investigate the full circumstances and origins of the flight, including the activities of the intermediary organisation and the lack of proper exit documentation.
The Palestinian Authority also expressed its gratitude to South Africa for accepting its nationals but issued a strong warning against entities involved in what it termed human trafficking and the exploitation of the dire conditions in Gaza.
#Headline Points
* Investigation Launched: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered a probe into the “mysterious” and undocumented arrival of 153 Palestinians from Gaza at O.R. Tambo International Airport.
* Lack of Documents: Passengers were detained for 12 hours after landing without Israeli departure stamps, return tickets, or accommodation details.
* Organiser Accused: The Palestinian Embassy stated the flight was arranged by an “unregistered and misleading organisation” that deceived families and collected money from them.
* “Flushed Out”: President Ramaphosa suggested the incident appears to be an attempt to “flush out” Palestinians from Gaza.
* Humanitarian Clearance: The BMA ultimately granted 90-day visa exemptions for 130 of the passengers on humanitarian grounds after the Gift of the Givers Foundation agreed to provide accommodation.
