South Africa has stated it will no longer receive chartered flights carrying Palestinians, in light of recent controversial events involving the arrival of 153 passengers from Gaza.
The arrival of these individuals has sparked claims from South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, who suggested that it is part of a cleansing agenda intended to remove Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. Israel has yet to respond to these allegations, yet they assert that South Africa previously agreed to accept these passengers.
The disclosed information has led to distrust surrounding these flights. The Palestinian embassy has noted that the group had traveled from Israel's Ramon Airport to South Africa via Nairobi without appropriate coordination.
This flight sparked significant confusion upon arrival; passengers faced a more than 10-hour wait on the plane after South African officials initially denied them entry, citing a lack of departure stamps in their passports—an issue for Palestinians allowed visa-free access for 90 days. Eventually, the group disembarked after local charity intervention, with 130 being allowed entry following the departure of 23 passengers to other destinations.
During a press conference focused on the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit, Lamola indicated that the flight's circumstances pointed to a larger operation to relocate Palestinians from their homeland to various countries globally.
This controversy is part of a broader context, with South Africa historically supporting the Palestinian cause. The sentiments of solidarity have revived with recent conflicts between Israel and Hamas, which have culminated in mass protests across South Africa in support of Palestinians.
Amidst the turmoil, South Africa has previously taken significant legal approaches against Israel, branding their actions in Gaza as genocide—claims that Israel denounces as unfounded.
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