South African authorities faced mounting criticism on Friday after more than 150 Palestinian travellers — including a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy — were confined for nearly 12 hours aboard a grounded aircraft at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport. The incident, first brought to public attention through Associated Press reporting, has reignited debate over South Africa’s approach to asylum seekers and emergency arrivals.
Officials cite missing documentation
According to the Border Management Authority (BMA), the passengers arrived early Thursday on a charter flight from Nairobi. Authorities said the group did not possess Israeli exit stamps, failed to indicate how long they intended to stay in South Africa, and were unable to provide local contact addresses. On that basis, immigration officials denied them entry and ordered that they remain on board the plane.
A total of 153 Palestinians — including families with infants and young children — were kept inside the aircraft as cabin temperatures climbed sharply. Pastor Nigel Branken, one of the few individuals permitted to access the plane, told public broadcaster SABC that the heat was “excruciating” and that distressed children were “screaming and crying” as conditions worsened.
Humanitarian intervention ends the standoff
The deadlock was resolved late Thursday after the Ministry of Home Affairs intervened and humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers stepped in to provide temporary accommodation. The BMA later confirmed that 23 of the travellers had since continued to onward destinations, leaving 130 in South Africa under the care of local humanitarian groups.
Imtiaz Sooliman, the founder of Gift of the Givers, noted that this was the second charter flight carrying Palestinian nationals to arrive in South Africa within two weeks. He said passengers from both flights appeared uncertain about their final destinations and were believed to have fled the conflict in Gaza. South African authorities have not yet clarified how the charter flights were organised, the point of origin before Nairobi, or how passengers departed Israel without what officials consider complete exit documentation.
Growing calls for asylum access
Pastor Branken said many of the travellers now intend to request asylum in South Africa. He criticised the government’s handling of the incident, saying the decision to keep families — including mothers with infants — inside an overheated aircraft contradicted South Africa’s longstanding humanitarian commitments.
“South Africa should be allowing these people into the airport at the very least, and giving them access to apply for asylum,” he said. “This is a basic, fundamental right guaranteed by our constitution.”
Public outcry over treatment of Gaza evacuees
South Africa has long maintained a strong diplomatic stance in support of Palestinians, and news that evacuees from a conflict zone were held in uncomfortable and unsafe conditions provoked widespread public criticism. Civil society organisations and human rights groups condemned the situation, warning that South Africa risks undermining its international obligations toward vulnerable migrants and asylum seekers.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has yet to provide a detailed public explanation regarding the missing documentation or the circumstances surrounding the charter flight. For now, humanitarian organisations continue to support the affected travellers while legal teams prepare to assist those intending to lodge asylum applications in the coming days.
