In a development that has raised eyebrows across international borders, 153 Palestinians from Gaza unexpectedly landed in South Africa this week after receiving mysterious approval from an unnamed third country.
The group's arrival triggered immediate questions from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding their journey.
The Mysterious Journey
According to Israeli authorities speaking on Saturday, November 15, the 153 Palestinians had received entry approval from a third country before being allowed to leave Gaza. A spokesman for COGAT, the Israeli body that manages civil affairs in Palestinian territories, explained to AFP that the group was only permitted to depart after receiving approval from an unnamed third country to accept them.
The situation became more complicated when the Gazans landed at Johannesburg's airport on Thursday. South African border police reported that the passengers were kept aboard their plane for 12 hours because their passports lacked departure stamps from Israel.
Humanitarian Intervention
The standoff was eventually resolved when South Africa's home affairs ministry allowed the passengers to disembark after humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers stepped forward to provide accommodation.
Interestingly, the NGO told South African media that they had no knowledge of who chartered the flight or a previous one that brought 176 Gazans to South Africa on October 28.
An unidentified Israeli official revealed to AFP that the organization coordinating the transfer had submitted third-country visas to COGAT for all evacuated residents.
Political Reactions and Background
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa didn't mince words when addressing journalists on Friday, stating that it seemed like they were being flushed out. He expressed bewilderment at the situation, noting that these are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here.
South Africa's home affairs ministry confirmed that 130 members of the group entered the country, while the remaining 23 took connecting flights to other destinations.
The COGAT spokesman clarified that Israel facilitates the departure of Gaza residents through Israel to receiving countries for specific cases, including patients requiring medical treatment, dual citizens and their family members, or those possessing visas to third countries.
He emphasized that Israel bases its decisions solely on requests from foreign countries, adding that the departure of more than 40,000 Gaza residents has been facilitated since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked the ongoing retaliatory war in Gaza.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of South Africa's historically supportive stance toward the Palestinian cause. The country, which hosts the largest Jewish community in sub-Saharan Africa, filed a case against Israel with the International Court of Justice in 2023, accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
