South Africa has launched an investigation into the sudden arrival of 156 Palestinian refugees from Gaza, whose plane reportedly passed through Nairobi, Kenya, before landing in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed on Friday that the South African government did not authorize the Palestinians to fly into the country.
“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa told reporters. He added that his administration, through the intelligence agency and the Department of Home Affairs, is trying to determine who chartered the flight.
According to South African officials, the refugees lacked proper documentation, including departure stamps in their passports, return tickets, and addresses for accommodation. As a result, the group was held on the runway for ten hours before being allowed entry.
“During the process, Border Management Authority officials noticed the absence of departure stamps and incomplete travel documentation,” South Africa’s Home Affairs department said in a statement.
The confusion prompted outrage from activists and human rights groups. Eventually, the refugees were granted a 90-day visa exemption after a non-governmental organization agreed to provide accommodation. By that time, 23 of the Palestinians had already left the airport for other destinations, leaving 130 still in South Africa.
The Israeli military authority Cogat, responsible for managing Gaza, has been implicated in the uncoordinated travel. Some refugees and NGO officials claimed Israel organized their departure, although they were unaware of their final destination. Meanwhile, Israel insists that South Africa had approved the transfer. Cogat later confirmed to France24 that approval had come from South Africa as the “third country” receiving the refugees.
Kenya’s role in this transfer remains unclear beyond the plane’s stopover, and the Kenyan government has not commented on the incident. This marks the second flight carrying Palestinian refugees to South Africa in two months, following another plane that arrived last month with 176 people.
South African authorities continue investigating to determine the full circumstances surrounding the mysterious journey.
