JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African authorities faced significant backlash after detaining over 150 Palestinian passengers, including a woman who is nine months pregnant, on a charter plane for around 12 hours due to complications with their travel documents. The incident drew widespread criticism regarding the treatment of the families and children aboard the flight.
The Palestinian passengers arrived at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning following a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya. According to a statement from South Africa's Border Management Authority, the passengers lacked exit stamps from Israeli authorities, did not specify their intended duration of stay in South Africa, and had not provided local addresses, leading immigration authorities to deny them entry.
After approximately 12 hours on the tarmac, the 153 passengers, which included families and young children, were finally allowed to disembark on Thursday night. This intervention came from South Africa's Ministry of Home Affairs, along with assistance from the local non-governmental organization Gift of the Givers, which offered accommodation for the passengers. As per the Border Management Authority's report, 23 of the passengers subsequently traveled to other countries, leaving around 130 still in South Africa.
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, noted that this was the second charter plane carrying Palestinians to land in South Africa within two weeks. He highlighted that many passengers did not know their final destination and suggested that both flights were likely filled with individuals fleeing war-torn Gaza.
Details regarding the organization of the charter flights, the aircraft's origin, and the reasons the passengers were able to leave Israel without the necessary documentation remain unclear. A South African pastor, who met with the passengers while they were still on the plane, reported to the national broadcaster SABC that many of the Palestinians expressed intentions to seek asylum in South Africa.
South Africa has historically been supportive of the Palestinian cause, and the treatment of these travelers has provoked significant public outrage. Pastor Nigel Branken shared his observations from the plane, describing the conditions as “dire.” He emphasized the extreme heat inside the aircraft and recounted how numerous children were visibly distressed, “sweating and screaming and crying.”
Branken criticized the South African government's actions, arguing that the country should have at least allowed the passengers to enter the airport and apply for asylum, stating that this aligns with their basic human rights as guaranteed by the nation's constitution. His remarks reflect a broader sentiment among those calling for better treatment of asylum seekers and refugees entering South Africa.
As the situation unfolds, the future of the detained Palestinians remains uncertain, along with the implications for South Africa's immigration policies and its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause. The public and political response to this incident could shape the discourse around asylum seekers and human rights within the country in the coming weeks.
