NEWS & POLITICS
South Africa probes mysterious flight carrying 153 Palestinians
South African authorities have launched a full investigation into a chartered flight carrying 153 Palestinians from Gaza that landed at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport and left passengers stranded on the tarmac for nearly 12 hours.
Noluthando Buthelezi
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 13 Nov 2025 (Running Africa) - Border officials say the group arrived without valid travel documents and were unable to explain their intended destination or the duration of their stay in South Africa.
Aid organizations sharply criticized officials for initially refusing to allow the passengers—among them children, elderly people, and pregnant women—to disembark despite the harsh conditions. Border authorities further noted that the travelers did not possess the required Israeli exit stamps or slips typically issued to individuals departing Gaza.
Organisations warn that the Palestinian families who arrived in South Africa last week may have been victims of trafficking.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the probe will seek to determine how the group managed to transit through Nairobi, Kenya, before arriving in Johannesburg. In a statement, the Palestinian embassy said it suspects the flight was arranged by an unregistered organization taking advantage of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis by facilitating irregular travel for vulnerable families.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a group known as Al-Majd organized buses that transported the Palestinians to Israel’s Ramon Airport, from where they were flown out.
South African authorities report that 23 passengers have since continued their journeys to other countries, while 130 remain in South Africa following intervention by the humanitarian group Gift of the Givers and the Department of Home Affairs.
