A recent arrival of Palestinians at O. R. Tambo International Airport has triggered mounting concern and calls for clarity after allegations surfaced that the group may have been forcibly displaced and transported under suspicious circumstances.
The group landed on 13 November on a chartered aircraft, but their entry into the country was initially delayed due to incomplete documentation. The Department of Home Affairs eventually intervened, allowing them entry on humanitarian grounds. Gift of the Givers, led by Imtiaz Sooliman, swiftly stepped in to assist and accommodate the arrivals.
Sooliman expressed unease about the opaque manner in which the group was brought to South Africa. He told Al Jazeera that the flight was chartered through Global Aviation, a company that manages Lift Airline. He noted that the same company was linked to a previous arrival of Palestinians in October, raising questions about patterns and possible coordination.
Sooliman did not directly confirm who arranged the latest flight but described the situation as one that appears involuntary. Some individuals reportedly did not know their final destination until they landed in Johannesburg. “It’s not voluntary, it’s forced,” he said, characterising the movement as “a process of ethnic cleansing” targeting traumatised and vulnerable people.
Further concerns were raised by Naeem Jeenah from the Civil Society Coalition. He told Al Jazeera that refugees reported being placed on a bus in Gaza, crossing the Karim Shalom border point, and being transported to Raman airport before flying to South Africa. Jeenah alleged that an organisation known as Al-Majd Europe — which he claims has ties to Israeli intelligence structures — played a role in the process.
According to Jeenah, passengers were charged significant sums through a website, reportedly paying between $1,500 and $5,000. One earlier arrival, Wasim Bashir, said he paid $6,000 for himself, his wife, and their children, but they were allowed to travel only with clothes, passports, and mobile phones.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged the unusual circumstances surrounding the arrivals, saying the group “mysteriously” travelled from Gaza, through Nairobi, before landing in South Africa. Despite lacking full documentation, Ramaphosa emphasised that the country would receive them with compassion.
“These are people from a strife-torn, war-torn region, and out of empathy, we must receive them,” he said.
The President confirmed that an official investigation will be launched to determine how the group was transported and who facilitated their journey. As South Africa deepens its global advocacy for Palestinian rights, the unanswered questions surrounding these arrivals are fuelling debate, scrutiny, and calls for transparency.
