November 14, 2025 | 08:44 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Authorities in South Africa were facing heavy criticism on Friday after they refused to allow 153 Palestinian passengers to disembark a plane for around 12 hours.
The Palestinians arrived on a charter plane from Kenya at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning, according to South Africa's Border Management Authority.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Palestinians were fleeing the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Why Did South Africa Block Palestinians From Disembarking?
Immigration authorities said the passengers lacked exit stamps from Israel and had not provided local addresses, nor did they indicate how long they planned to stay.
Police stated that they "did not have the customary departure stamps in their passports" but added that none had "expressed an intention to apply for asylum."
Nigel Branken, a pastor, was allowed to board the plane while they were being held there and described extreme scenes.
"It's dire," Branken said in an interview with public broadcaster SABC on Thursday from the plane as he described the conditions.
"When I came onto the plane, it was excruciatingly hot. There were lots of children just sweating and screaming and crying."
The Ministry of Home Affairs eventually intervened to allow the passengers off the plane, with a local non-governmental organization, Gift of the Givers, offering them accommodation.
Of the 153 passengers, 23 traveled on to further destinations, leaving 130 in the country.
What Role Did Israel Play in the Palestinians Being Flown to South Africa?
Information about the flight was sketchy and contradictory. French news agency AFP reported that the charter plane had been operated by South African airline Global Airways, citing border police.
Israel has eased restrictions on Palestinians leaving Gaza following the announcement of US President Donald Trump's plan to relocate Palestinians from the Strip.
Haaretz reports that Israel allows Palestinians to leave via Ramon Airport if the receiving country provides the plane to take them. However, it was not clear why their passports had not been stamped and why South African authorities appeared not to be fully aware of their arrival.
The Israeli newspaper cited the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) saying that "Israel always ensures in advance that a country has agreed to receive each of the Gazans."
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, told SABC, "The families of this first group told us yesterday their family members are coming on a second plane, and nobody knew about that plane.
"The government has to investigate how people are coming on chartered planes without stamps. Israel didn't stamp their passport, so they are traveling sort of illegally."
Sooliman said another flight carrying Palestinians had landed in South Africa in the last two weeks and that the passengers had been unaware where they were going.
South Africa has been one of the most outspoken critics of Israel on the global stage, often drawing comparisons between its own experience with apartheid and the experience of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. It has also brought a case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, accusing them of carrying out genocide.
Around 7,000 Palestinians have left Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing to reach Jordan or to depart from Ramon Airport. Another 30,000 have left through the Rafah border crossing, according to Haaretz.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, it is a war crime "to deport or transfer the civilian population of an occupied territory, unless the security of the civilians involved or imperative military reasons so demand."
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