‘Mysterious’ Charter Plane with 153 Palestinians Detained in Johannesburg — South Africa Opens Probe

Charter flight carrying people from Gaza lands in South Africa amid questions over paperwork

A charter aircraft carrying 153 Palestinians from Gaza touched down in Johannesburg after a stopover in Nairobi, prompting an official probe into how the group arrived without the required Israeli travel paperwork, South African authorities said.

Officials reported the plane was held on the tarmac for about 12 hours because many passengers lacked exit stamps or official slips issued by Israeli authorities. President Cyril Ramaphosa described the arrival as "mysterious," saying the passengers appeared to have been "flushed out" of Gaza and that South Africa admitted them "out of compassion" while investigating the circumstances.

Cyril Ramaphosa: "These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here."

Some rights groups and commentators suggested the flight — labelled "mysterious" because of its route and incomplete documentation — could represent an attempt to move Palestinians out of Gaza. Israeli officials rejected that implication, saying the transfer was conducted through an authorised corridor organised by an entity called the Al-Majd organisation with full Israeli co-operation.

Imtiaz Sooliman, founder and chairman of the South African humanitarian group Gift of the Givers, told reporters that many passengers were unaware of their final destination and only realised in Kenya that they were being brought to South Africa. He said some travellers held visas for countries such as Canada, Australia and Malaysia, and that those passengers were eventually permitted to continue to their destinations.

Imtiaz Sooliman: "Some had visas for Canada, Australia and Malaysia; they were eventually permitted to leave for those countries."

The Palestinian embassy in Pretoria accused the organisers of being an "unregistered and misleading organisation" that exploited Gaza's humanitarian crisis, deceived families, collected money, and facilitated irregular travel before attempting to disown responsibility when complications arose.

Israeli officials said the Palestinians left the Gaza Strip with approval from a third country to receive them, and that passengers were screened at Ramon Airport in southern Israel prior to departure. COGAT, the Israeli body responsible for civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, said: "The residents left the Gaza Strip after COGAT received approval from a third country to receive them," but did not name that country.

Israel has said roughly 40,000 Gazans have left the strip since the war began, with dozens to hundreds evacuated each week to destinations including Europe, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The episode has further strained relations between Pretoria and Jerusalem. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has long been a vociferous critic of Israeli policy, frequently drawing parallels between the Palestinian cause and South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle. South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide at the International Court of Justice — a charge Israel denies, calling the country a "legal arm" of Hamas.

An organisation called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to efforts to facilitate travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. According to its website, Al-Majd Europe was founded in Germany in 2010, is based in Jerusalem, and provides aid and rescue support to Muslim communities in conflict zones. The organisation has also warned that impersonators have solicited money and cryptocurrency "under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid."

The South African government said it will investigate the details of the flight and the arrangements that led to the passengers' arrival. The incident raises questions about the organisation of evacuations from Gaza, the protection of vulnerable people in transit, and the diplomatic ramifications of cross-border humanitarian movements.