South Africa Relents After 12-Hour Ordeal for Palestinian Passengers
In a surprise move, the South African government has finally allowed over 150 Palestinian airline passengers to disembark after they were held on a plane for nearly 12 hours by border police. The chartered flight, operated by Global Airways and bound for Kenya, was originally set to land in Johannesburg but faced an unexpected delay when authorities discovered that the passengers did not have the customary departure stamps in their passports.
The situation sparked outrage among South Africans, who are known for their strong support of the Palestinian cause. News of the ordeal reached a fever pitch on social media, with many condemning the government's actions as "outrageous" and "unjust".
According to reports, the passengers were initially denied entry due to the lack of stamps in their passports and failure to indicate how long they planned to stay in South Africa or where they would be staying. However, after a humanitarian organization, Gift of the Givers, stepped in to guarantee the passengers' accommodation during their stay, the authorities reversed course.
The news came as a relief to some 130 Palestinians who ultimately entered the country and 23 others were transferred to other destinations from the airport. The first plane carrying 176 Palestinians had landed in Johannesburg on October 28, with some of its passengers departing for other countries without being stamped.
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, condemned Israel's alleged actions, stating that "they are removing people from Gaza and sending them on chartered planes" without stamping their passports. He claimed that these actions amount to "exacerbating their suffering in a foreign country".
Nigel Branken, a South African social worker who assisted those held on the plane, corroborated Sooliman's claims, stating that the passengers had been ordered by Israeli authorities to leave all their belongings behind before boarding an unmarked plane at an Israeli air force base.
The episode has reignited calls for greater accountability from Israel and its international community. As one observer noted, "this operation is a classic example of how countries can be complicit in human rights abuses when they fail to act in the face of clear evidence".
In a surprise move, the South African government has finally allowed over 150 Palestinian airline passengers to disembark after they were held on a plane for nearly 12 hours by border police. The chartered flight, operated by Global Airways and bound for Kenya, was originally set to land in Johannesburg but faced an unexpected delay when authorities discovered that the passengers did not have the customary departure stamps in their passports.
The situation sparked outrage among South Africans, who are known for their strong support of the Palestinian cause. News of the ordeal reached a fever pitch on social media, with many condemning the government's actions as "outrageous" and "unjust".
According to reports, the passengers were initially denied entry due to the lack of stamps in their passports and failure to indicate how long they planned to stay in South Africa or where they would be staying. However, after a humanitarian organization, Gift of the Givers, stepped in to guarantee the passengers' accommodation during their stay, the authorities reversed course.
The news came as a relief to some 130 Palestinians who ultimately entered the country and 23 others were transferred to other destinations from the airport. The first plane carrying 176 Palestinians had landed in Johannesburg on October 28, with some of its passengers departing for other countries without being stamped.
Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, condemned Israel's alleged actions, stating that "they are removing people from Gaza and sending them on chartered planes" without stamping their passports. He claimed that these actions amount to "exacerbating their suffering in a foreign country".
Nigel Branken, a South African social worker who assisted those held on the plane, corroborated Sooliman's claims, stating that the passengers had been ordered by Israeli authorities to leave all their belongings behind before boarding an unmarked plane at an Israeli air force base.
The episode has reignited calls for greater accountability from Israel and its international community. As one observer noted, "this operation is a classic example of how countries can be complicit in human rights abuses when they fail to act in the face of clear evidence".
... i mean, holding people on a plane for 12 hours without stamps is insane! what kind of system allows that? it's like they're playing with people's lives 
. and to make matters worse, the passengers were basically forced to leave their belongings behind... that's just cruel 
. I'm glad Gift of the Givers stepped in and helped facilitate their entry into South Africa, but this whole ordeal is a huge red flag 
. it raises so many questions about accountability and human rights... we need to be holding governments accountable for their actions 
.
I mean, if you're gonna stop someone from entering a country, make sure they have all their paperwork in order, right? And what's with the lack of departure stamps in their passports? That just seems like a whole lot of unnecessary hassle.
I mean, it shows how quickly awareness can spread and how much public opinion can shift when something's not right.
and then gift of the givers comes in and saves the day 
i'm so relieved that those 130 people got to enter the country safely 
but can we talk about how israel just doing this stuff without consequences? 
i mean, what's the deal with these chartered planes and no stamps on passports? it sounds like a recipe for human rights abuses 
this is what happens when 'help' is just a cover for complicity 
150 people stuck on a plane for 12 hours because of a minor issue that's not their fault. South Africans should be mad at their gov't for being so quick to follow orders from another country without questioning the morality of it all 
The South African gov actually did what most people would've expected - showed some compassion. Who knew being decent to Palestinian passengers could spark outrage? 
150+ ppl stuck on a plane for 12 hrs is literally crazy talk! 
GIF: A group of people holding signs that say "Free Palestine" 
. I mean, can you blame them for being outraged? The whole thing just smells fishy to me 
. Those passports without stamps were probably just a ploy to keep them out 
