President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the inquiry, saying the travellers had been stuck on the aircraft for more than ten hours before being allowed in through what he described as “empathy, compassion, and understanding”. Twenty-three passengers later continued to other destinations, leaving 130 who were admitted.
Authorities said the group lacked departure stamps, return tickets, or confirmed accommodation, prompting the first refusal. Once officials verified that the missing details did not indicate asylum requests and confirmed housing, entry was granted. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber noted that Palestinian passport-holders qualify for 90-day visa-free entry.
The circumstances surrounding their departure from Gaza remain unclear. The Palestinian embassy in South Africa said the passengers left from Israel’s Ramon Airport and travelled via Nairobi “without any prior coordination”, accusing an “unregistered and misleading organisation” of exploiting hardship and collecting money from families for irregular travel.
Cogat, the Israeli military agency controlling Gaza’s crossings, said the group left after receiving approval from an unnamed third country. Kenya has not commented.
Local charity Gift of the Givers is accommodating the group and has called for an investigation into the treatment they faced, including long delays on the tarmac and being denied food. One passenger told eNCA he felt relief upon arrival, describing South Africa as a place of “peace, laws and justice”.
South Africa has long supported the Palestinian cause, with public sympathy rooted in the anti-apartheid era. Large pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place throughout the conflict in Gaza, alongside smaller pro-Israel gatherings. In 2023, the government lodged a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, an allegation Israel strongly rejects.