A surprise plane carrying about 150 Palestinians from Gaza landed in South Africa last November, leaving locals stunned.
Since May, at least three flights have moved Gaza residents to Indonesia and South Africa amid war and devastation.
An AP investigation found the flights were organized by Ad Kan, an Israeli group with ties to former intelligence officers.
The group’s founder, Gilad Ach, previously supported a U.S. proposal to resettle Palestinians, raising questions about the flights’ motives.
South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola called the evacuations a “clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.”
Passengers told AP they were unaware of who organized the flights but welcomed the chance to escape the war-torn enclave.
“There was famine, and we had no options. My children were almost killed,” said a 37-year-old Palestinian arriving in South Africa.
Flights were arranged through Al-Majd, a company claiming to provide humanitarian aid and “support Palestinian lives” in conflict zones.
Documents and interviews show Ad Kan used Al-Majd to mask Israeli involvement, coordinating routes, payments, and passenger lists discreetly.
Some Palestinians paid up to $2,000 per person through bank transfers and cryptocurrency to reach destinations including South Africa and Indonesia.
American-Israeli businessman Moti Kahana helped organize a flight, later altered to South Africa, and confirmed Ach’s group sought to obscure its Israeli links.
Ach described the evacuations as humanitarian, denying South Africa’s claim they were intended to remove Palestinians forcibly.
Critics say post-war conditions in Gaza make departures far from voluntary and warn Palestinians must retain the right to return.
Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office, declined to comment on the flights or whether evacuees could eventually return.
For many, the flights offered a rare lifeline, a chance to leave Gaza’s rubble for safety, leaving the question of motive shadowed but secondary.