South Africa Rejects Future Palestinian Charter Flights Amid Cleansing Concerns

Tue Nov 18 2025 07:23:39 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant move, South Africa has announced it will refuse future charter flights carrying Palestinians due to suspicions of a cleansing agenda. This decision follows the controversial arrival of 153 Palestinians from Gaza.

South Africa's refusal to accept additional charter flights of Palestinians stems from concerns that these flights are part of a broader scheme to remove Palestinians from their homeland. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola highlighted the dubious nature of the recent flight arriving from Gaza, which led to extensive delays and breaches of protocol. The Palestinian embassy has since responded, indicating that the group's travel lacked proper coordination. As tensions rise over the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, South Africa remains a vocal critic, advocating for Palestinian rights.

South Africa has stated it does not want to receive any more chartered flights carrying Palestinians, following the controversial arrival of 153 passengers from Gaza. Many aspects of their arrival remain unclear and disputed.

The flight was part of 'a clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank', Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said on Monday. The Israeli authorities have not responded to this accusation but maintain that South Africa had previously agreed to accept the 153 Palestinians.

The Palestinian embassy in South Africa reported that the group left Israel's Ramon Airport and flew to the country via Kenya without prior notice or coordination. They claimed that an unregistered and misleading organization had exploited the situation, collecting money from families and facilitating the travel irresponsibly.

The flight arrived at OR Tambo International Airport but passengers were initially refused entry due to a lack of departure stamps in their passports, causing them to be stuck on the plane for over ten hours. Eventually, the group was permitted to disembark after local charity intervention.

During a media briefing, Lamola stated the recent flight appeared part of a larger operation to remove Palestinians from their homeland to various countries, asserting the situation was being investigated.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has discussed the potential for the voluntary resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza, which has drawn worldwide criticism. South Africa, with its history of supporting the Palestinian cause, continues to vocalize its discontent over Israel's military actions and policies.