South Africa Investigates Mystery Plane Carrying 150+ Palestinians from Gaza

Arrival and Initial Ordeal

• ✈️ Over 150 Palestinians from Gaza arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, on a chartered plane.
• ⏳ They were held onboard the aircraft on the tarmac for approximately 12 hours due to not having proper travel documents.

Humanitarian Visas and Entry

• 📄 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the individuals were eventually granted 90-day visas on humanitarian grounds.
• 🤝 Humanitarian groups offered accommodation and support, with 130 members cleared for entry, while 23 departed for other destinations.
• 🏥 Some individuals were noted to be in extremely poor medical condition, requiring treatment.

Investigation into the Charter

• 🔍 South Africa's intelligence services are actively investigating who was behind the chartered plane.
• 🌍 The passengers stated they chose South Africa as their first destination, believing it to be a land of peace, laws, and justice.

Origin and Israeli Statement

• 🗺️ The group traveled from the Gaza Strip, crossing at Karem Shalom, and flew from Rammon airport in Israel, with a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.
• ✅ Israeli authorities mentioned that the Palestinians left after receiving approval from a third country to receive them, though this country was not named.