‘NO MORE GAZA FLIGHTS’

SOUTH AFRICA will no longer welcome charter flights carrying Palestinians into the country. 

After the recent arrival of planes transporting families from Gaza, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola said that the undocumented families are being trafficked as plan to remove Palestinians from their homeland of Gaza..

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.

“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.