Mystery Over 156 Palestinians Flown Through Kenya Sparks South African Investigation
A growing diplomatic dispute has emerged involving Kenya, South Africa, and Israel after a plane carrying 156 Palestinians unexpectedly landed at OR Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg on Thursday.
The aircraft reportedly passed through Nairobi before proceeding to South Africa, triggering sharp accusations and serious questions about who approved the journey.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking on Friday, said that his government had not authorised the Palestinians to travel to the country.
He revealed that South Africa’s intelligence agency and the Department of Home Affairs had launched a full investigation to determine who arranged the flight and how the passengers were cleared.
“These are people from Gaza who were mysteriously placed on a plane that travelled through Nairobi and ended up here,” Ramaphosa told reporters.
He added that the 153 Palestinian refugees on board lacked proper travel documents, describing their arrival as highly unusual and deeply concerning.
Because of the confusion surrounding their documentation, the refugees were held on the runway for nearly 10 hours.
Officials reportedly said they had not undergone the required interviews and many of their passports did not have standard departure stamps. Others did not have return tickets or confirmed accommodation details inside South Africa.
According to a statement from Home Affairs, Border Management Authority (BMA) officers flagged several inconsistencies: “During inspection, officials identified missing departure stamps in numerous passports and discovered that many travellers did not possess return tickets or verified addresses for their stay.”
The prolonged delay sparked outrage from activists and human rights groups, who accused the authorities of mishandling vulnerable refugees fleeing conflict.
Eventually, South Africa granted the group a 90-day visa exemption, after a local NGO stepped in and agreed to provide temporary housing for them. However, by the time the clearance was issued, 23 refugees had already left on another flight, leaving 130 still at the airport.
Attention has now shifted to Israel’s involvement. Cogat, the Israeli military body responsible for administering Gaza, is being widely blamed for organising what appears to be an uncoordinated evacuation.
Some refugees and the NGO assisting them claim that Israel arranged their exit from Gaza, but never informed them of their final destination.
Despite President Ramaphosa insisting that South Africa approved no such arrivals, the Israeli government maintains that South Africa did give permission.
Cogat told the BBC that it had received formal approval from a “third country” to fly the Palestinians out. Later, an official speaking to France24 confirmed that this unnamed third country was South Africa.
“The residents left the Gaza Strip after Cogat received permission from a third country to receive them,” the agency stated.
Kenya’s role in the matter remains murky. While the aircraft reportedly refuelled in Nairobi, it is still unclear whether Kenyan authorities played any deeper part in authorising or facilitating the passengers’ movement.
South Africa is now investigating this angle, but Kenya has remained silent for several days despite mounting public pressure.
This incident marks the second time in two months that a plane carrying Palestinians fleeing Gaza has landed in South Africa.
The previous flight, which arrived last month, carried 176 passengers. The repeated pattern has intensified scrutiny and raised questions about international coordination, refugee handling, and the political tensions surrounding movements of people escaping the Gaza conflict.
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