South Africa has allowed 153 Palestinian passengers to finally leave a plane after they were kept on board for nearly 12 hours at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
The passengers, who arrived on a chartered flight from Kenya on Thursday morning, were initially denied entry by the Border Management Authority (BMA). Officials said the group did not have standard departure stamps in their passports and had not indicated where they planned to stay in the country.
According to the BMA, the situation created a legal challenge.
The passengers’ passports had no exit stamps,
They had not provided an address for their stay, and
None of them applied for asylum.
Because of this, officials did not allow them to disembark.
The long delay caused public outrage in South Africa, a country known for its strong support for Palestinians and currently leading a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Their release was finally approved on Thursday night after humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers guaranteed that it would provide accommodation and support for the group if necessary.
After clearance:
130 Palestinians entered South Africa, and
23 passengers continued their journey to other countries.
Who Chartered the Plane?
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, told South Africa’s SABC broadcaster that he did not know who had organised the flight. He confirmed that another group of 176 Palestinians had arrived on October 28 on a similar chartered aircraft.
Families of the first group informed the organisation that a second plane was coming, but neither authorities nor aid groups had advance notice.
Humanitarian workers who assisted the passengers say many were traumatised, saying they had endured two years of conflict and displacement.
Nigel Branken, a South African social worker, said the travelers told him that Israeli authorities ordered them to leave all their belongings behind before boarding an unmarked plane at an Israeli air force base.
“They were clearly being displaced,” Branken told Al Jazeera.
Sooliman claimed Israel intentionally did not stamp their passports, making entry into foreign countries more difficult and worsening their suffering.
Growing Concern Over Forced Displacement
Aid organisations say they are preparing to support more arrivals amid reports that Palestinians are being flown out of Gaza on chartered planes without proper travel documentation.
