South African FM calls mysterious Palestinian arrivals “clear agenda” for displacement

• South Africa questions the arrival of 153 Palestinians on a chartered flight from Gaza and the West Bank.
• Officials cite missing departure stamps from 'Israel' and a possible orchestrated agenda.
• The group was held for 12 hours before entry on a 90-day visa exemption.
• Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola condemned the flights as part of a “clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians.

South African authorities have raised alarms over the recent arrival of 153 Palestinians in Johannesburg, warning of a potential orchestrated plan to displace people from Gaza and the West Bank.

The group arrived last Thursday on a chartered flight, but their passports lacked departure stamps from 'Israel', heightening suspicions.

“We are suspicious as the South African government about the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the plane,” Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told reporters on Monday. The passengers were held on the tarmac for 12 hours by border police before being granted entry under a standard 90-day visa exemption approved by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This latest flight follows an earlier arrival of 176 Palestinians on October 28, facilitated by the charity Gift of the Givers. Both flights reportedly involved a shadowy organization named Al-Majd, which coordinated departures from Gaza.

Lamola condemned the operation, calling it “a clear agenda to cleanse out Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank and those areas, which South Africa is against.” He added, “It does look like it represents a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine into many different parts of the world, and is a clearly orchestrated operation.”

The South African government has stated it will not permit additional flights until it is confident that no organized effort exists to forcibly displace Palestinians.