South African authorities are launching an investigation into a mysterious arrival of 153 Palestinians who were held on a charter plane at Johannesburg's OR Tambo international airport for 12 hours without proper documentation.
The group, believed to be from Gaza, arrived in South Africa without departure stamps, return tickets, or accommodation arrangements. Initially denied entry due to lack of paperwork, the passengers were later cleared for entry under a standard 90-day visa exemption after humanitarian intervention by a local nonprofit organization.
The origins of the Palestinians' journey remain unclear, and details about their intended destination are also scarce. It is believed that some had visas for neighboring countries but were eventually allowed to leave for those destinations.
A pastor who accompanied the passengers during their time on the plane described the conditions as "extremely hot" with children crying out in distress. The incident has raised questions about South Africa's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its handling of asylum seekers.
The country, which has a history of supporting the Palestinian cause, is now facing criticism for its slow response to the situation. Some have expressed concerns over national security, while others see the government's actions as inconsistent with its proclaimed values.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Palestinians' arrival is underway, with officials vowing to determine the origins of their journey and any potential irregularities in their travel arrangements.
The group, believed to be from Gaza, arrived in South Africa without departure stamps, return tickets, or accommodation arrangements. Initially denied entry due to lack of paperwork, the passengers were later cleared for entry under a standard 90-day visa exemption after humanitarian intervention by a local nonprofit organization.
The origins of the Palestinians' journey remain unclear, and details about their intended destination are also scarce. It is believed that some had visas for neighboring countries but were eventually allowed to leave for those destinations.
A pastor who accompanied the passengers during their time on the plane described the conditions as "extremely hot" with children crying out in distress. The incident has raised questions about South Africa's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its handling of asylum seekers.
The country, which has a history of supporting the Palestinian cause, is now facing criticism for its slow response to the situation. Some have expressed concerns over national security, while others see the government's actions as inconsistent with its proclaimed values.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Palestinians' arrival is underway, with officials vowing to determine the origins of their journey and any potential irregularities in their travel arrangements.
they came in w/o docs, like wot's the worst dat cn happen? but on da other hand, its not right 4 ppl 2 b held in airport 4 12 hours w/ no food or drink... that's just cruel 
. & u gotta ask y gr8 nrs like SA r so quick 2 jump 2 humanitarian intervention 
. but at da same time, dont get me wrong, i think its pretty suspicious how they all ended up 2gthr... wot r dey really doing here?
... these ppl were stuck on a plane for 12 hours without any documentation, can u imagine? and now they're being scrutinized like they did something wrong 
... what if some of these ppl were fleeing violence or persecution? shouldn't we be helping them out instead of questioning their intentions? 
it's like they're being treated as refugees, not human beings with stories to tell 
honestly though, can't say i'm surprised by this one... so many ppl getting stuck in middle east conflicts 
153 ppl on a plane for 12 hrs without docs? that's just basic human decency right there 
and now they're trying to sweep it under the rug with some fancy investigation 
meanwhile, kids were crying out in distress... just not cool 
. The fact that some had visas for other countries but got allowed to leave anyway makes me wonder if there was more to it than just humanitarian intervention 
.
. I think it's safe to say we can trust people who come to South Africa with good intentions, right? 
. Maybe there's a way to streamline the process without sacrificing compassion?
! Like, what's going on here? These people show up out of nowhere and suddenly they're allowed to stay for months just because some NGO stepped in? It's like the system got a slap on the wrist and suddenly everything is fine again. 
I mean, if there were security concerns, wouldn't that have been addressed before they even landed?
What if those people weren't who they claimed to be? We don't even know where they came from or what their intentions are.
. it's all about the PR at this point. what was the gov thinkin? do a quick search for any passports or visas that might've been mishandled? come on SA, step up ur game 
. also, i feel bad for those kids who were cryin on that plane 
. when will they get the help they need? 
It’s like they say, you can only judge someone by their actions...
- I mean can u imagine being on a plane for 12 hours with no idea where u r going or how u got there?! The conditions sounded super harsh especially w/ kids crying out in distress 
The conditions described by that pastor are honestly terrifying, especially with kids crying out in distress. It's like they were just left hanging there, not even told why they weren't allowed to leave.
. We need to make sure these people were treated with respect and dignity, even if their journey was a mess. Let's see how this investigation goes and hope we can learn something from this crazy situation 
hope this investigation gets to the bottom of things 
And what about the fact that they had visas for other countries but were allowed to leave? That's some suspicious behavior right there.
.
. the govts response to this situation is also super slow, i get it, they're trying to figure out what happened but some ppl might be worried about national security and stuff 
. and i dont blame 'em, but at the same time, its like, whats wrong w welcoming ppl in need? south africa has a rep for being all about that human rights life 
anyway, it's weird they were denied entry then cleared cuz of some nonprofit 