KEY POINTS
- South Africa questions forced Palestinian relocation concerns.
- Government investigates Al-Majd travel operation.
- Arrivals say they were misled about destination.
South Africa has raised alarms over two unannounced passenger flights carrying Palestinians, warning that the journeys may signal broader efforts to displace people from Gaza and the West Bank.
Officials say the arrivals have intensified forced Palestinian relocation concerns as Pretoria examines who orchestrated the movements and why.
Forced Palestinian relocation concerns grow
The controversy erupted after 153 Palestinians landed in Johannesburg last week on a chartered aircraft without Israeli exit stamps. A previous flight with 176 passengers arrived in late October, only becoming public days later.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said the circumstances suggest coordination beyond simple evacuation efforts.
Lamola told reporters the government viewed the pattern as troubling. He described lingering suspicion around the role of Al-Majd, a little-known organisation reportedly paid by passengers seeking safe passage from Gaza.
Many travellers said they believed they were headed to countries such as Indonesia or Malaysia. Others assumed they would reach India. Few knew South Africa was the final destination.
Officials probe shadowy travel network
President Cyril Ramaphosa eventually approved standard visa entry after border police kept the most recent arrivals on the aircraft for nearly 12 hours.
The Gift of the Givers NGO, now assisting the groups, said several passengers reported that organisers promised them temporary accommodation for longer than the single week they actually stayed. Once they landed, communication with Al-Majd reportedly stopped.
The Palestinian embassy in Pretoria condemned the operation as deceptive, alleging that organisers charged families about $2,000 each for irregular travel. Israeli authorities said they cleared the passengers to depart after another nation agreed to receive them, though they did not name the country.
Lamola said Pretoria is now investigating all aspects of the journeys as forced Palestinian relocation concerns widen.
