Johannesburg, South Africa – In a development that has heightened tensions between South Africa and Israel, the South African government has launched an investigation into the mysterious arrival of 153 Palestinians from Gaza on a chartered flight to Johannesburg on Thursday, November 13, 2025. The passengers, including men, women, children, and pregnant individuals, were held aboard the aircraft for over 12 hours due to incomplete travel documents, sparking outrage and diplomatic scrutiny. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described the incident as evidence that the group appeared to have been "flushed out" of Gaza, raising fears of coerced displacement in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The flight, operated by South African airline Global Airways and transiting through Nairobi, Kenya, landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport early Thursday morning. According to South Africa's Border Management Authority (BMA), immigration officials detained the passengers after discovering they lacked Israeli exit stamps or slips in their passports – standard requirements for departures from Gaza, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. The group also could not provide details on their intended stay, accommodation, or return plans, leading to initial denials of entry. A pastor who briefly accessed the plane described conditions as "unbearably hot," with families, including young children, enduring the ordeal without food for hours.
Intervention came late that evening from South Africa's Ministry of Home Affairs and the humanitarian NGO Gift of the Givers, which pledged accommodation and support. Ultimately, 130 Palestinians were granted 90-day visa-exempt entry, while 23 proceeded on onward flights to unspecified destinations. Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, speaking to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), emphasized the compassion behind the decision: "These are people from a strife-torn, war-torn country, and out of empathy, we must receive them." The organization, known for disaster relief worldwide, has committed to aiding the newcomers with essentials like food, medical care, and temporary housing in Johannesburg.
This was not the first such enigmatic arrival. On October 28, 2025, a similar charter flight brought 176 Palestinians from Gaza to Johannesburg, with some later departing for other countries. Sooliman noted that Gift of the Givers was unaware of the charterer in either case, describing both as shrouded in secrecy. The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa accused an "unregistered and misleading organization" – later identified by Israeli sources as Al-Majd Europe – of exploiting Gaza's dire humanitarian crisis. The embassy claimed the group deceived families, collected fees, and arranged irregular travel without proper coordination. Two South African NGO representatives alleged Al-Majd has ties to Israel, though they provided no evidence, and Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) did not respond to those claims.
Israeli authorities, however, portrayed the departures as routine and consensual. On Saturday, November 15, COGAT spokesman Shimi Zuaretz told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the 153 Palestinians were permitted to exit Gaza only after receiving approval from an unnamed third country to host them. An unidentified Israeli official added that the coordinating organization had submitted third-country visas for all evacuees to COGAT in advance. Zuaretz clarified that COGAT facilitates exits for medical patients, dual citizens with families, or those with valid third-country visas, always basing decisions on foreign government requests. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel – which killed about 1,200 people and led to 252 hostages being taken – COGAT has enabled the departure of over 40,000 Gaza residents through Israeli territory.
The process reportedly began with the group bused from Gaza's Kerem Shalom crossing – under Israeli control – to Ramon Airport in southern Israel, then flown via Nairobi. Social worker Nigel Branken, who assisted at the airport, recounted passengers' accounts of being ordered by Israeli authorities to abandon belongings before boarding an unmarked plane at an air force base. Palestinian authorities in Ramallah issued a stark warning on November 15, urging Gazans to beware "agents of displacement" aligned with Israeli interests, labeling such networks as human traffickers. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "deep appreciation" for South Africa's support, including the temporary visas, but reiterated concerns over the opaque logistics.
President Ramaphosa, addressing journalists in Johannesburg on Friday, November 14, voiced suspicion over the flight's origins: "These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here. It does seem like they were being flushed out." He affirmed that while South Africa admitted the group "out of compassion," intelligence services would probe the charterer and route to prevent future irregularities. Ramaphosa's comments underscore South Africa's longstanding solidarity with Palestinians, rooted in parallels drawn between Gaza's plight and the anti-apartheid struggle. The nation, home to sub-Saharan Africa's largest Jewish community of about 60,000, has faced domestic criticism from pro-Israel groups over its stance, but public outrage erupted online at the passengers' treatment, with hashtags like #WelcomeToSA trending.
This episode unfolds against the backdrop of the protracted Gaza conflict, now in its third year. The October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas triggered Israel's military response, resulting in over 43,000 Palestinian deaths, widespread destruction, and a humanitarian catastrophe, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Aid inflows have plummeted, with October 2025 seeing only 25,155 tonnes of food enter – the lowest since December 2023 – despite U.S. ultimatums to Israel. Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have accused Israel of obstructing aid, potentially amounting to war crimes.
South Africa's vocal advocacy peaked with its December 2023 filing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The 84-page application cited Israel's "75-year apartheid, 56-year occupation, and 16-year blockade" as context for alleged acts intended to destroy Palestinians as a group. In January 2024, the ICJ found it "plausible" that Palestinians' rights under the Convention were at risk, ordering Israel to prevent genocidal acts, punish incitement, and ensure aid access – though it stopped short of halting operations. South Africa submitted its full memorial on October 28, 2024, detailing evidence of violations, including civilian killings and imposed life conditions. Israel denies genocide, asserting self-defense and compliance with international law, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing no external body could halt operations.
The ICJ case has galvanized global support for Palestinians, with interventions from nations like Bolivia, Colombia, and Spain. In Gaza, Al Jazeera correspondent Hind Khoudary reported that desperate residents – especially the wounded or those with overseas kin – are willing to risk such flights despite uncertainties. As South Africa's probe continues, it highlights broader debates on displacement: Is this facilitated evacuation or forced exodus? With over 2 million Gazans displaced internally and aid convoys routinely denied, the line blurs.
For the 130 newcomers in Johannesburg, integration begins amid uncertainty. Palestinian Ambassador Hanan Jarrar, who greeted the plane, called their arrival a testament to South African solidarity but decried the exploitation en route. As winter approaches in the Southern Hemisphere, Gift of the Givers is scaling up efforts, but questions linger: Who chartered these flights, and what role did Israel play? Until answers emerge, this episode serves as a microcosm of Gaza's unrelenting crisis – a war that defies borders and compels the world to confront its human toll.
