South Africa has announced a halt to accepting any chartered flights transporting Palestinians, just days after an unprecedented flight carrying 153 people from the Gaza Strip landed at OR Tambo International Airport.
South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola described the flight as part of “a clear agenda to depopulate Gaza and the West Bank of Palestinians,” calling it a “deliberate operation” to forcibly relocate Palestinians to various countries around the world.
The Palestinian Embassy said in a statement that the flight arrived “without prior notification or coordination,” noting that an unregistered organization exploited the hardship of citizens, deceived their families, and collected money from them.
Passengers faced hurdles upon arrival, as they were held onboard for more than 10 hours due to the absence of exit stamps in their passports. After a humanitarian intervention by a charity organization, 130 passengers were allowed entry out of “sympathy and compassion,” according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The circumstances surrounding the flight remain unclear, while South African authorities say the matter is still under investigation.
