Questions remain unanswered over the sudden arrival of 153 Palestinians at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday, as competing narratives have emerged from the South African government, Gift of the Givers, the Israeli authorities, and the Palestinian Embassy in South Africa.
Pretoria has insisted it was caught off guard, while Israel claims South Africa had agreed to receive them in advance.
South Africa’s Official Account
Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber confirmed the group arrived on a chartered flight from Nairobi on 13 November.
Border Management Authority (BMA) officials flagged missing departure stamps, a lack of return tickets, and no accommodation addresses.
Entry was delayed while verifications were conducted; vulnerable passengers were moved to buses.
After consultations with the Palestinian embassy and humanitarian groups, it was confirmed that the travellers were not seeking asylum immediately.
“Importantly, as with many other countries, holders of ordinary Palestinian passports enjoy 90-day visa-exempt access to South Africa, subject to security and verification procedures, including to protect travellers.”
Once their accommodation was guaranteed by the Gift of the Givers, the BMA Commissioner approved entry under the 90-day visa exemption.
By then, 23 travellers had already departed onward to other destinations.
— The Border Management Authority SA (@TheBMA_SA) November 13, 2025
Embassy’s Statement
The Palestinian embassy in Pretoria alleged the travel was arranged by an unregistered and misleading organisation that exploited humanitarian suffering, deceived families, and later disowned responsibility.
South African authorities are investigating these claims with the embassy and security cluster.
During an interview on Radio 702, the Palestinian Ambassador told host Clement Manyathela that most of the Palestinians on board the chartered flight from Israel don’t want asylum, and plan to leave for other countries or return to Gaza after 90 days.
Israel’s Counterclaim
On 15 November, Israeli military officials told FRANCE 24 that the Palestinians had only been allowed to leave Gaza after COGAT received approval from a third country to receive them.
Later, a spokesperson clarified that the “third country” was South Africa itself.
This marks a serious change of tone: Israel contends South Africa invited the Gazans, authorised their arrival, and then backtracked under domestic backlash.
Shimi Zuaretz, COGAT spokesman, said Israel facilitates departures from Gaza only when foreign countries request to receive residents, citing over 40,000 departures since October 2023.
Humanitarian Intervention
NGO Gift of the Givers has provided accommodation for 130 of the arrivals, enabling entry approval.
The group said it did not know who chartered the flight, revealing that another unknown flight brought 176 Gazans on 28 October.
Political Context
President Cyril Ramaphosa described the incident as “mysterious,” saying the travellers seemed “flushed out” of Gaza.
South Africa has long supported the Palestinian cause, filing a genocide case against Israel at the ICJ in 2023.
Civil society groups in South Africa voiced concern that Israel may be attempting to depopulate Gaza under the guise of humanitarian evacuation.
We are providing support and processing the 160 Palestinian refugees who arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on humanitarian grounds, ensuring that our response is rooted in compassion and empathy. pic.twitter.com/pKXNBaYwEh
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) November 14, 2025
