South Africa Halts Palestinian Charter Flights Amid Controversy

Tue Nov 18 2025 02:08:21 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a surprising decision, South Africa has announced it will no longer accept charter flights carrying Palestinians, following a disputed flight that raised suspicions of a political agenda.

South Africa has taken a strong stance against receiving charter flights for Palestinians, citing recent arrivals as part of a 'cleansing agenda' aimed at removing the population from Gaza. This decision follows the controversial reception of 153 Palestinians from Gaza, which was mired in confusion and allegations of exploitation. The South African government, supportive of Palestinian rights, is now investigating the circumstances surrounding these arrivals while maintaining its criticism of Israel's military operations.

South Africa has stated it will no longer welcome any chartered flights carrying Palestinians, following the contentious arrival of a group from Gaza that has sparked accusations of an agenda to 'cleanse' the Palestinian population from their homeland.

Following the arrival of 153 Palestinians recently, South Africa's Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola asserted on Monday that the incident appeared to be designed to facilitate the forced displacement of Palestinians from both Gaza and the West Bank. Despite these allegations, the Israeli authorities claimed South Africa had previously agreed to accept the passengers.

The controversy escalated as the group arrived at OR Tambo International Airport and faced rejection at the gates due to a lack of proper departure stamps in their passports. After over ten hours aboard the plane, local charity interventions allowed 130 passengers to disembark, as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended 'empathy and compassion' towards them. However, 23 of the travelers had already departed for other locations.

Lamola emphasized the need to scrutinize the broader implications of such flights, suggesting that this pattern might be part of an orchestrated effort to disperse Palestinians globally. Indeed, other recent flights have also transported Palestinians to South Africa, raising questions about the underlying motivations behind these movements.

In response to the crowded political atmosphere, South Africa, which has historically backed the Palestinian cause—dating back to Nelson Mandela's era—is now being watched closely for its stance. The Palestinian embassy criticized the deployment as an 'unregistered and misleading organization' that exploited the vulnerable citizens of Gaza.

As international discussions regarding the Palestinian plight intensify, the South African government continues to navigate its role in this longstanding conflict, recently even filing charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice for alleged genocide. Israel maintains that these accusations are without merit.