A fresh diplomatic storm has erupted after 153 Palestinians unexpectedly arrived at OR Tambo International Airport, triggering clashing accounts from South African officials, the Palestinian Embassy, Israeli authorities, and humanitarian groups.
The sudden appearance of the group on Thursday has left Pretoria scrambling for answers while competing narratives continue to collide.
According to South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, via the governance website, the passengers touched down on a chartered flight from Nairobi on 13 November, with border officials immediately raising red flags. Missing departure stamps, no confirmed accommodation, and the absence of return tickets halted their entry while checks were carried out. Vulnerable travellers were separated and moved onto buses as verification processes unfolded.
Officials later confirmed, after liaising with humanitarian organisations and the Palestinian embassy, that the group was not seeking asylum upon arrival. South Africa reiterated that Palestinian passport holders qualify for 90-day visa-free entry, a system that still requires standard security and verification measures. Once accommodation was guaranteed by Gift of the Givers, the Border Management Authority authorised entry, although 23 members of the group had already departed for other destinations.
The Palestinian embassy alleged that the travel arrangements had been orchestrated by an unregistered organisation exploiting families under the guise of humanitarian assistance, distancing itself from the operation. South African authorities have launched investigations alongside the embassy and security structures to unpack how the travel was coordinated.
In an interview on 702, the Palestinian Ambassador noted that most of the passengers were not looking for asylum and intended either to move on to third countries or return to Gaza after their 90-day stay.
Israel’s version of events, however, sharply contradicts Pretoria’s. On 15 November, Israeli military officials told FRANCE 24 that Palestinians were permitted to leave Gaza only after approval was received from a third country willing to host them. Hours later, that ‘third country’ was identified as South Africa, a claim suggesting Pretoria had agreed to receive the group before later denying prior knowledge.
COGAT spokesperson Shimi Zuaretz stated that Israel only facilitates exits when countries request to accept individuals, pointing to tens of thousands who have left Gaza since October 2023. Israel now contends that South Africa invited the group and then reversed its stance when domestic criticism mounted.
Meanwhile, Gift of the Givers has stepped in to house 130 passengers, though the organisation maintains it has no information about who chartered the flight. It also revealed a separate mystery flight from 28 October carrying 176 Gazans, another unsolved chapter that President Cyril Ramaphosa called ‘mysterious,’ adding that the travellers appeared to have been “flushed out” of Gaza.
With South Africa’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, including the genocide case it filed at the ICJ in 2023, civil society groups fear the possibility of Israel attempting to relocate Gazans under the banner of humanitarian relief.
For now, the arrival of the 153 passengers remains clouded in uncertainty, with officials still trying to map out who authorised what, and why.
Compiled by Aiden Daries
First published on Cape {town} etc
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