Over 150 Palestinians arrived in South Africa on Thursday, sparking an investigation into their mysterious journey.
The group of 153 landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, but were detained on the plane for 12 hours due to lack of departure stamps from Israel on their passports.
“It does seem like they were being flushed out,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday, expressing concern over the circumstances surrounding their arrival.
“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” he added.
The South African government has admitted the group “out of compassion,” with 130 entering the country and 23 taking onward flights to other destinations.
The Gift of the Givers charity guaranteed accommodation for the Palestinians, who were allowed to disembark after a 12-hour delay.
The Palestinian embassy in South Africa condemned the travel arrangements, stating that an unregistered organization exploited vulnerable individuals, deceived families, and collected money from them.
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the Gift of the Givers, revealed that a first plane carrying 176 Palestinians had landed in Johannesburg on October 28, with some passengers departing for other countries.
South Africa has long supported the Palestinian cause and filed a case against Israel with the International Court of Justice in 2023, accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
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