South Africa has moved to bar further charter flights transporting Palestinian refugees from Gaza from landing in its territory, following an investigation that revealed a coordinated extraction operation allegedly facilitating the forced displacement of civilians.
The decision to deny airspace access comes after requests from United Arab Emirates-based charter companies were refused by South African authorities. This action halts a previously unknown route that had already brought hundreds of Palestinians to the country under unclear circumstances.
Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers, who has been directly involved with the arrivals, provided a detailed account of the situation. He revealed that two flights had already landed, the first unbeknownst to local aid groups.
The initial flight, carrying 176 people, arrived on October 28th. Its presence was discovered by chance by Pastor Nigel Branken, who located some of the dispersed passengers in the community. Dr. Sooliman stated he only learned of a second flight, carrying 153 passengers, about twelve hours before it landed on November 13th, after being alerted by a family member of a passenger.
It was upon learning of this second flight that Dr. Sooliman contacted the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and advocated for a shutdown of the airspace. He argued that by accepting planeloads of refugees under these specific conditions, South Africa would be “aiding Israel in its process of ethnic cleansing.”
“After the bombing, after the starvation, after the killing… This is the next stage. Get rid of the people. Force them out,” Dr. Sooliman said. “We got to set the standard where we close the airspace.”
He clarified that South Africa is not barring Palestinians from entering through regular channels, noting they can obtain 90-day visitor visas on commercial flights. The objection is specifically to the charter flights, which he described as an unprecedented and suspect mechanism.
Dr. Sooliman cited investigations by Israeli newspaper Haaretz and Al Jazeera, which identified a company involved as “Almage.” The investigations reportedly found the company’s online presence suspicious, with allegedly AI-generated portraits on its website, and concluded its proven existence only dated to 2025.
According to testimony from the arrivals, individuals in Gaza responded to Facebook advertisements offering escape for a fee between $1,500 and $2,000. They were promised a “Palestinian-friendly” country, four months of accommodation and support, but were not told their destination. Passengers reported being moved through Israel to Ramon International Airport without exit stamps on their documents—a procedure, Dr. Sooliman emphasized, that effectively bars their legal return to Gaza.
Of the arrivals, many have since left South Africa for other countries where they had visas or family connections. Dr. Sooliman’s organization has provided housing, food, clothing, and medical care for those who remain—approximately 85 from the first flight and 118 from the second. Legal teams have presented options including applying for asylum, seeking visas for other nations, or hoping to return to Gaza if borders reopen.
Addressing critics who say blocking the flights contradicts South Africa’s pro-Palestinian stance, Dr. Sooliman was unequivocal. “It totally defeats the purpose what we’re standing for,” he argued. “Why did we go to the ICJ? Why did we ask for a ceasefire? Why did we speak for the right to return if we then have to help all Palestinians get out of Gaza and come to South Africa?”
The South African government’s move to close its airspace to these charters aligns with this stance, framing the acceptance of such flights as participation in a forced migration strategy rather than humanitarian relief.
