After 12‑Hour Tarmac Ordeal, South Africa Allows 153 Palestinians to Disembark

South Africa allows 153 Palestinians to disembark after lengthy delay

South African authorities permitted 153 Palestinian air passengers to leave a chartered aircraft late on Thursday after they were held on board for almost 12 hours at OR Tambo International Airport, officials said.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) said the group landed shortly after 08:00 local time and were initially prevented from disembarking when officers discovered the passengers did not have the customary departure stamps in their passports and had not supplied details about how long they planned to stay or where they would be staying.

BMA statement: "Given that Palestinians are eligible for 90-day visa-exempt travel to South Africa, they have been processed as per normal and will be required to adhere to all conditions of entry."

The Ministry of Home Affairs authorised the passengers to leave the aircraft after a local humanitarian organisation, Gift of the Givers, pledged to provide accommodation for the travellers during their stay if needed. According to the BMA, 130 of the passengers subsequently entered South Africa and 23 were transferred from the airport to other destinations.

Flight details and response

AFP reported the flight was a charter operated by South African airline Global Airways and had originated in Kenya. Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, said he did not know who arranged the charter. He told public broadcaster SABC that a previous flight carrying 176 Palestinians arrived in Johannesburg on 28 October, and families of that group informed him that another plane with relatives was due to arrive.

Imtiaz Sooliman: "Those people are really distraught coming from two years of genocide."

Sooliman and other aid workers relayed accounts from arriving passengers that many were moved from Gaza on unmarked or chartered flights and that Israeli authorities had not stamped their passports before departure. Sooliman posted on social media that, based on those accounts, Israeli authorities "deliberately did not stamp the passports of these poor people to exacerbate their suffering in a foreign country." These allegations have been reported as claims by sources on the ground.

Nigel Branken, social worker: "Passengers said they were ordered by Israeli authorities to leave all their belongings behind before boarding an unmarked plane at an Israeli air force base. Very clearly all the marks of Israel involved in this operation to take people…to displace them."

Public reaction and next steps

The long delay on the tarmac prompted public outrage in South Africa, a country that has taken a vocal stance in support of Palestinians and sought legal action at the International Criminal Court related to allegations stemming from Gaza. South African authorities say the passengers were processed in line with immigration rules once accommodation arrangements were confirmed.

Reports are continuing to emerge from aid groups and officials; claims about the origin and handling of the passengers’ travel documents come from those groups and passengers and have not been independently verified in this report.