South African authorities are investigating how a chartered plane carrying more than 150 Palestinians from Gaza arrived in Johannesburg without proper travel documents. The incident raised concern among rights groups and prompted questions about the role of an organisation accused of exploiting families fleeing the conflict.
The plane landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport. Immigration officials kept passengers onboard for nearly 12 hours because they lacked exit stamps normally issued by Israeli authorities. Officials said many passengers were unable to state where they would stay in South Africa. NGOs criticised the authorities for keeping families, including a woman in late pregnancy, in hot and cramped conditions with no food or water.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government opened an inquiry into how the group travelled from Gaza to South Africa via Nairobi. He said the passengers were from a war zone and should be treated with compassion. The Ministry of Home Affairs later allowed 130 passengers to enter the country. Twenty-three travelled onward to undisclosed destinations after NGOs, including Gift of the Givers, intervened to provide accommodation.
The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said an unregistered organisation misled families, collected money from them and facilitated irregular travel. It said the group later denied responsibility when complications emerged.
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