When the wheels of a chartered aircraft touched down at O.R. Tambo International Airport, no one knew that South Africa was about to become the centre of a story filled with confusion, fear, hope, and unanswered questions.
Onboard were 153 Palestinians — parents clutching their children, students carrying what little they had, elderly passengers exhausted from a journey they never expected to become so complex. But what awaited them in Johannesburg was not relief, not yet. Instead, it was uncertainty.
A Journey Marked by Fear and Hope
For many of those onboard, life in Gaza had become unbearable. War, displacement, trauma — these weren’t abstract words but daily realities. They boarded the flight believing they were heading toward safety, a fresh start, or at least temporary peace.
But when the plane doors opened, the welcome was complicated.
South African officials were puzzled:
Passports lacked standard exit stamps.
No asylum applications were filed.
No advance notice of a mass arrival had been given.
What should have been a routine landing quickly turned into a diplomatic puzzle.
Twelve Hours on the Tarmac
The passengers were kept on the plane for nearly 12 hours.
Twelve hours of heat.
Twelve hours of fear that they might be sent back.
Twelve hours of crying children and anxious parents.
Imagine surviving war, surviving escape, surviving the uncertainty of leaving your home — only to find yourself trapped on a stationary plane thousands of kilometers away.
One pastor who visited them said even from the outside, he could hear children sobbing. That detail alone paints a picture more powerful than any government statement.
A Moment of Compassion Breaks Through
Then something changed.
Gift of the Givers, South Africa’s beloved humanitarian organization, stepped in. Their intervention — offering shelter, care, and support — shifted the tone from suspicion to compassion.
After hours of checks:
- 130 travellers were allowed into South Africa under the 90-day visa-free policy
- 23 continued on to other destinations
- All were given a chance to step into fresh air, into safety, into hope
None applied for asylum — surprising to many — but understandable to those familiar with the complicated ways families often escape conflict.
A Mystery That Still Needs Answers
President Cyril Ramaphosa called the incident “mysterious,” and it is.
The Palestinian embassy believes an unregistered group may have arranged the flight, collecting money from desperate families. Think about that: people already fleeing war may have been misled and financially exploited at their most vulnerable moment.
The government wants to know:
- Who organized this flight?
- Why were the documents irregular?
- Were these families taken advantage of?
- Did any authorities along the travel route fail them?
The investigation isn’t just about border control. It’s about protecting vulnerable people from exploitation.