South Africa foreign minister says charter flights part of a plan to clear Palestinians out of Gaza

South Africa's Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola voiced strong suspicions regarding recent charter flights arriving from Israel carrying Palestinian passengers. Lamola alleges these flights are part of a broader, orchestrated agenda to displace Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank to various countries, including South Africa. The minister highlighted that the passengers lacked proper travel documents and exit documentation, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the operation. South African authorities initially blocked the passengers from disembarking, holding them on the tarmac for 12 hours before granting entry.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an intelligence investigation into the circumstances surrounding the flights, which originated from Ramon Airport in southern Israel with a stopover in Kenya, landing at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport. Lamola stated that South Africa does not want any further flights of this nature, viewing them as a deliberate attempt to remove Palestinians from their homeland. The Israeli authority responsible for civilian policies in Palestinian territories stated that the passengers left Gaza with approval from a third country, as part of an Israeli government policy facilitating the departure of Gaza residents.

South Africa has historically been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israeli policies. Allegations have surfaced from South African civic groups accusing a Jerusalem-based organization, Al-Majd, of organizing the charter flights with alleged ties to Israel, though no concrete evidence has been presented. An Israeli military official confirmed that Al-Majd arranged the transport of approximately 150 Palestinians and secured their travel documents. This recent flight was reportedly the second from Israel in recent weeks, following another flight on October 28 carrying over 170 Palestinians.