South Africa halts charter flights bringing Palestinians after entry documentation issues
Palestinian refugees on arrival at OR Tambo International Airport last week.
Image: Facebook/Embassy of the State of Palestine / South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA will no longer permit charter flights carrying Palestinians into the country, following the recent arrival of planes transporting families from Gaza, said Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola.
Last Thursday, a group of 153 Palestinians landed in the country on a chartered flight from Kenya. They were initially denied entry at OR Tambo International Airport due to missing documentation, including exit stamps from Israel, return tickets, and accommodation details.
After spending nearly 12 hours at the airport, they were eventually admitted under South Africa’s 90-day visa exemption on humanitarian grounds, following intervention by local aid organisations.
Giving an update in Johannesburg, Lamola confirmed that a government investigation is underway.
“The Palestinian plane — as to whether there is some shady work and so forth — indeed, we are suspicious as the South African government about the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the plane and the passengers that were in it,” Lamola said.
“This matter is under investigation, and the South African public will know the outcome in due course. It is indeed an issue of concern to us. It does look like it represents a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine to many different parts of the world.
organizations say that Palestinians who arrived in South Africa last week could have been trafficked
Image: Supplied
It’s a clearly orchestrated operation because they are not only being sent to South Africa — there are other countries where such flights have been sent. We do not want any further flights to come our way because this appears to be a clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians out of Gaza, the West Bank, and other areas, which South Africa strongly opposes.”
IOL has established that South Africa’s government and intelligence services have launched a joint probe into the arrival of the 153 travellers. Investigators are examining whether the movement was coordinated by a shadowy organisation known as Al-Majd Europe, which allegedly arranged the travel. Authorities believe the operation may form part of a wider campaign of “forced migration” involving vulnerable Palestinians being relocated to multiple destinations.
Charter operator Global Airways confirmed that this was not the first such flight. On October 28, 2025, it operated a similar charter from Nairobi to Johannesburg, also carrying Palestinian passengers who were reportedly admitted under the same visa exemption without incident.
South Africa has long positioned itself as a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, even taking Israel to the International Court of Justice over alleged violations in Gaza. The government’s decision to investigate the latest arrivals underscores growing concern that these chartered flights may be part of a broader attempt to displace Palestinians under the guise of humanitarian evacuation.