"On Thursday morning, a chartered plane carrying 153 Palestinians from war-torn Gaza many without the required travel documents landed at an airport near Johannesburg, leaving South African officials blindsided. After nearly 12 hours of scrambling, the group was allowed to disembark into the care of a local charity organisation. More details have emerged about the scheme run by Al-Majd Europe, through which activists argue Israel is advancing its ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza."
"The plane full of people sat on a runway for nearly 12 hours while South African authorities tried to figure out why they did not have exit stamps or slips from when they left Gaza, according to officials from South Africa's border agency. They were also not sure when asked by immigration where they would stay or how long they planned to be in South Africa. The government allowed them to leave the plane after charity organisation Gift of the Givers offered to accommodate them."
A chartered plane carrying 153 Palestinians from Gaza landed near Johannesburg after passing via Nairobi. Many passengers lacked required travel documents and exit stamps, leaving South African border officials uncertain about their departure records. The plane remained on the runway for nearly 12 hours while immigration questioned intended stay and duration. Officials allowed disembarkation after the charity Gift of the Givers offered accommodation. Twenty-three passengers later flew to other countries. Al-Majd Europe organized the transit and charged passengers substantial fees. South African intelligence is investigating claims that Al-Majd coordinated with Israeli authorities. Some passengers reported learning of the opportunity via social media.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]