South Africa Faces Backlash After Palestinians Held on Plane for 12 Hours

Over 150 Palestinian passengers, including a nine-month pregnant woman, were held on a plane in South Africa for 12 hours due to travel document issues. After intervention by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the NGO Gift of the Givers, they were allowed to disembark, with many now planning to seek asylum. The incident sparked widespread criticism over the treatment of vulnerable travelers.

South African authorities have come under heavy criticism after more than 150 Palestinian passengers, including a woman in the ninth month of pregnancy, were held on a charter plane for 12 hours due to complications with their travel documentation. According to eyewitness accounts, the conditions on board the plane were extremely difficult and caused significant distress among passengers, many of whom were families with young children. Pastor Nigel Branken, who was permitted to meet with the passengers while they were still confined on the plane, described the situation as appalling. He said the passengers were suffering in unbearable heat, with sweat-soaked hair and young children visibly struggling. Branken emphasized the irony of the situation, noting that these individuals had come to South Africa believing in the country’s humanitarian principles, yet were left waiting on the tarmac for an entire day.

The charter flight carrying the Palestinians arrived at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning after a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya. According to a statement by South Africa’s Border Management Authority, the passengers did not possess exit stamps from Israeli authorities, had not indicated the length of their intended stay in South Africa, and had failed to provide local addresses. These document and procedural issues led immigration authorities to deny them immediate entry into the country.

The 153 passengers, which included multiple families and children, were eventually allowed to disembark from the plane on Thursday night following intervention by South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and support from the local non-governmental organization Gift of the Givers, which arranged temporary accommodation for them. The Border Management Authority reported that 23 of the passengers subsequently traveled on to other countries, leaving approximately 130 individuals still in South Africa. Gift of the Givers founder, Imtiaz Sooliman, noted that this was the second flight carrying Palestinians to South Africa within a span of two weeks, and that the passengers themselves were reportedly unaware of their exact destination. Both flights are believed to have been carrying people from Gaza, which has been heavily affected by conflict and humanitarian crises.

Details remain unclear regarding how the charter flight was organized, the precise origin of the plane, and how passengers were able to leave Israel without the documentation that South African authorities claim was required. Pastor Branken, who welcomed the passengers when they were finally allowed to enter the airport terminal, indicated that many of them now plan to apply for asylum in South Africa.

The treatment of the Palestinian passengers has ignited widespread anger and criticism, both domestically and internationally, highlighting concerns about the treatment of vulnerable travelers. The incident has also drawn attention to South Africa’s historical support for the Palestinian cause, raising questions about the country’s handling of humanitarian obligations in the face of bureaucratic and procedural challenges.