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Palestinians who ‘mysteriously’ landed in South Africa had approval from third countries, Israel says
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Palestinians who ‘mysteriously’ landed in South Africa had approval from third countries, Israel says

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Israeli authorities have said that 153 Palestinians who showed up unexpectedly in South Africa, prompting questions from the president, had received permission from an unnamed third country.
Shimi Zuaretz, a spokesperson for COGAT, the Israeli body that manages civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, told Agence France-Presse on Saturday that they were only allowed to leave Gaza “after COGAT had received permission from a third country to receive them.”
He did not name the country.
After landing in Johannesburg local time on Thursday, the Palestinians were kept on board their plane for 12 hours because they did not have departure stamps from Israel in their passports, South African Border Police said.

The Interior Ministry eventually allowed the passengers to disembark when an NGO said it would provide them with accommodation.

The NGO Gift of the Givers told South African media that it did not know who chartered the flight or any previous flight that brought 176 Gazans on October 28.
“The Palestinians had no idea where they were being bundled to, it wasn’t until they were in Kenya that they realized they were coming to South Africa. Some had visas for Canada, Australia and Malaysia, they were eventually allowed to leave for those countries,” said Imtiaz Sooliman, chairman and founder of Gift of the Givers.

An Israeli official who asked not to be identified told AFP that the organization coordinating the transfer had submitted third-country visas to COGAT for all evacuated residents.

South Africa will investigate unexpected arrival

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told journalists on Friday that it appeared “as if they were being washed away”.
“These are people from Gaza who were somehow mysteriously put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” he said.

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said 130 of the group entered the country, while the remaining 23 took onward flights to other destinations.

Zuaretz said COGAT facilitates the departure of Gaza residents through Israel to receiving countries, for patients in need of medical treatment, dual citizens and their family members, “or those holding visas to third countries.”
Israel “bases its decisions exclusively on requests from foreign countries,” he added, saying the departure of more than 40,000 Gazans had been facilitated since the start of the war in Gaza.
Ramaphosa said the South African intelligence services, the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation were now assessing the situation.

“We are going to do a proper evaluation and see what the future holds,” he added.

Allegations of irregular travel arrangements

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said the Palestinian embassy had told it the group had been misled and charged by an unspecified, unregistered organization, which later “attempted to disclaim any responsibility once complications arose.”

“We obviously have to look at the origins (of the 130 Palestinians’ journey), where it started, the reason why they were brought here,” Ramaphosa said.

“But… out of compassion, and because they are a people that we as South Africa have raised our hands to support, we felt we had to accept them,” he said.
South Africa, which is home to the largest Jewish community in sub-Saharan Africa, has largely supported the Palestinian cause.
The government filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in 2023, accusing the country of genocide in Gaza.

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