Name: South Africa to block Palestinian charter flights over ‘cleansing’ fears
Uploaded: 2025-11-18T19:21:27.254Z
Duration: 2 min 39 s
Description: South Africa has decided to block further charter flights carrying Palestinian refugees, following the arrival of over 150 people who fled Gaza. The government cited opposition to what it calls the cleansing of Gaza and is investigating the organizations involved in facilitating these flights.

South Africa has decided to block further charter flights carrying Palestinian refugees, following the arrival of over 150 people who fled Gaza. The government cited opposition to what it calls the cleansing of Gaza and is investigating the organizations involved in facilitating these flights.

Johannesburg

South Africa has decided to block further charter flights carrying Palestinian refugees, following the arrival of over 150 people who fled Gaza. The government cited opposition to what it calls the cleansing of Gaza and is investigating the organizations involved in facilitating these flights, including Al-Majd Europe, which has links to the Israeli government.

Refugees arriving in Johannesburg described difficult conditions upon arrival, including being held on the tarmac for 12 hours before being granted temporary visas. While local communities have provided support, the future of these refugees remains uncertain as South Africa has announced it will not accept additional arrivals.

South Africa to block Palestinian charter flights over ‘cleansing’ fears

This man, who we are calling Ibrahim because he does not want to be identified, left Gaza with his wife and one-year-old child almost a week ago, searching for safety. His wife, who we'll call Fatima, was a student in Gaza. They married during the war. We can't show her face. She pauses as she becomes overwhelmed with emotion. I lost my entire family, 17 members, and I only have a sister left who is in Belgium. I hope one day I can move there to be with her. The family arrived in Johannesburg on a flight organized by a company called Al-Majd Europe, an organization that has been linked to the Israeli government. The family paid thousands of dollars for the trip. They say they didn't know their final destination until they landed in Kenya and were transferred onto another plane. When they arrived in Johannesburg with 150 others, they were kept on the tarmac for 12 hours, as the South African government initially denied them entry. They say even getting a diaper for their child was impossible. When we got to South Africa, we didn't find any type of reception. We stayed inside the plane for 12 hours in a very bad condition, especially for kids, pregnant women, elderly and sick people, and we were both morally and psychologically exhausted. They were eventually granted a 90-day visa and have since applied for asylum. Another woman, we'll call her Laila, is eight months pregnant and preparing to give birth here. We keep thinking, what next? What's going to happen after three months? And we wish the South African government will help us to stay here in South Africa or just treat us as refugees, anything, but help us to stay because two years of instability is enough for us. While their future remains uncertain, what is clear is the support they've received from community members like Nadja Adam, who runs a charity organization helping dozens of refugees. While many here have assisted the Palestinians in need and are willing to help many more, South Africa's government says it will not accept any more arrivals because it's against what it calls the cleansing of Gaza. Officials say they're investigating what the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation has described as an orchestrated effort to extract people from the territory. But for refugees like Laila, it was a question of survival. She says she would make the same choice again if it meant keeping her family safe. Famida Mallah, Al Jazeera, Johannesburg.

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