Inside the mystery of planeloads of Palestinians arriving in South Africa

Two chartered flights carrying Palestinians fleeing Gaza have quietly landed at OR Tambo International Airport in the past three weeks triggering confusion and concern among local authorities. Rumours first surfaced around 6 November on civil-society WhatsApp groups: a plane of Palestinian families had arrived in Johannesburg with just seven days of accommodation booked at Airbnbs and hotels and no clear plan beyond that. By 11 November, NGOs led by Gift of the Givers went public, revealing that 176 Palestinians mostly mothers, fathers and children had been brought to South Africa under circumstances they say raise “serious concern about Israeli involvement”. The group was reportedly forced to leave all luggage behind, arriving with no clothing, toiletries or medication beyond what they wore. In the absence of official support, civil society and everyday South Africans stepped in, supplying essentials, shelter and financial assistance. Phemelo speaks to Senior Research Fellow at Africa Asia Dialogues, Thembisa Fakude for analysis on recent developments.