Keypoints:
- Over 150 Palestinians held 12 hours
- SA officials cite missing exit stamps
- Rights groups condemn harsh treatment
SOUTH African authorities came under sharp criticism on Friday after more than 150 Palestinian travellers — including a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy — were held aboard a grounded aircraft at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport for roughly 12 hours. The standoff, first highlighted in reporting by the Associated Press, triggered strong public reaction and renewed debate about South Africa’s asylum procedures.
Officials blame incomplete exit documents
According to the Border Management Authority (BMA), the passengers arrived on a charter flight from Nairobi early Thursday morning. The BMA said the group lacked Israeli exit stamps, did not specify how long they planned to remain in South Africa and did not provide local addresses. On that basis, immigration officers refused them entry and instructed them to remain on the aircraft.
A total of 153 Palestinians, including families and young children, were kept on board as temperatures inside the cabin soared. Pastor Nigel Branken, one of the few people granted access to the aircraft, told public broadcaster SABC that conditions were ‘excruciatingly hot’ and that children were ‘screaming and crying’ in distress.
Humanitarian intervention breaks the impasse
The stalemate ended late on Thursday after South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs intervened and humanitarian group Gift of the Givers stepped in to offer temporary accommodation. The BMA later confirmed that 23 of the passengers had continued their journeys elsewhere, leaving 130 in South Africa under the care of local organisations.
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, said this was the second charter flight carrying Palestinians to land in the country within two weeks. He noted that passengers on both flights said they were unsure of their final destination and were believed to have fled Gaza. South African authorities, however, have yet to clarify how the charter was arranged, where the flight originated or why the passengers were able to depart Israel without what officials deemed complete documentation.
Calls for asylum access grow
Pastor Branken said many of those on board now intended to seek asylum in South Africa. He criticised the handling of the situation, arguing that keeping families — including infants — inside an overheated aircraft was inconsistent with the country’s humanitarian commitments.
‘South Africa should be letting these people into the airport at the very least and letting them apply for asylum,’ he said. ‘This is their basic fundamental right guaranteed in our constitution.’
Public anger over treatment of Gaza evacuees
South Africa has long positioned itself as a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause. News that travellers from a conflict zone were confined in stifling conditions for hours sparked anger from civil society groups and ordinary citizens. Human rights organisations accused authorities of failing to uphold the country’s international obligations towards vulnerable migrants and asylum seekers.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has not yet provided a full explanation of the documentation concerns or the flight’s arrangements. For now, humanitarian responders are working to support the travellers, while legal teams prepare to assist those who wish to file asylum claims in the coming days.
