The group of 153 Palestinians arrived around 08:15 on a chartered Global Airways flight from Kenya, seeking refuge after fleeing the war in Gaza. Immigration officers kept them on the aircraft for more than 10 hours, citing missing exit stamps, no declared length of stay, and no local addresses.

Their admission comes as South Africa pursues a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice filed on Dec. 29, 2023, and continues to cast itself as a leading diplomatic supporter of Palestinian rights.

Entry Blocked Over Documentation Gaps

South Africa held 153 Palestinians on a chartered flight from Kenya for about 10–12 hours at O.R. Tambo Airport.

Officials said the group lacked exit stamps from Israel, could not state their intended length of stay, and had no local accommodation details.

Although Palestinian passport holders qualify for 90-day visa-free entry, the Border Management Authority said these conditions must still be met and initially refused disembarkation.

Humanitarian Guarantee Unlocks Access

The deadlock ended when Gift of the Givers formally undertook to house and support the passengers.

This allowed immigration officers to exercise discretion and admit 130 of them, while 23 had already transited onward. Founder Imtiaz Sooliman alleged that “Israel deliberately did not stamp the passports of these poor people,” a claim Israeli authorities have denied.

Ramaphosa Cites Compassion And Vetting

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the state would normally have sent the passengers back due to missing documentation.

He added that “out of compassion, and because they are a people that we as South Africa have raised our hands to support, we felt that we should accept them.” He noted that intelligence and foreign affairs officials vetted the arrivals before entry.

Second Gaza Flight Highlights Policy Tension

Authorities said a previous flight had brought 176 Palestinians weeks earlier.

This group arrived amid a war that has killed about 1,200 Israelis, left over 250 people taken hostage since 7 October 2023, and by August 2025 caused roughly 70,000 Palestinian deaths and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population — figures cited in South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice.