Israel has said 153 Palestinians who unexpectedly flew into South Africa without proper documentation were allowed to travel after receiving approval to enter an unnamed third country.
The arrival of their aircraft in Johannesburg via Kenya on Thursday led to the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saying it seemed like the Gazans “were being flushed out”. His remarks came amid fears that Israel is attempting to push Palestinians out of the enclave.
After landing, the passengers were kept on board their plane for 12 hours because they did not have departure stamps from Israel in their passports, South African border police said.
On Saturday, Shimi Zuaretz, a spokesman for Cogat, the Israeli body that runs civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, told the AFP news agency that the passengers had been cleared to leave Gaza “after Cogat received approval from a third country to receive them”. But he did not name the country.
Following their wait on the tarmac, all 153 Palestinians were eventually permitted to disembark by the South African authorities when an NGO said it would provide them with accommodation. The Home Affairs Ministry said 130 of the group entered South Africa, while the remaining 23 took onward flights to other destinations.
The NGO that provided them with accommodation, Gift of the Givers, told South African media it did not know who had chartered the plane, or a previous one that brought 176 Gazans last month.
Another Israeli official, who did not wish to be identified, told AFP that the organisation co-ordinating the flight had submitted visas to Cogat for all the passengers that allowed them entry into a third country.
Mr Zuaretz said Cogat routinely assists with the departure of Gaza residents through Israel to receiving countries, including patients requiring medical treatment, dual citizens and their family members “or those possessing visas to third countries”.
Israel “bases its decisions solely on requests received from foreign countries”, he added, saying that more than 40,000 Gaza residents had departed in this way since the beginning of the Gaza war.
South Africa, which has the largest Jewish community in sub-Saharan Africa, has largely been supportive of the Palestinian cause. The government filed a case against Israel with the International Court of Justice in 2023, accusing it of genocide in Gaza, claims which Israel denies.
“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” South African President Ramaphosa said on Friday. “Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” he added.
South Africa's intelligence services are now investigating who was behind the chartered plane, Mr Ramaphosa said. The Palestinian embassy in South Africa said in a statement that the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organisation”.
That group “exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner”, the embassy added, without naming any group. “This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”
An Israeli military official speaking anonymously to the AP news agency said an organisation called Al Majd arranged the flight. The official said Israel escorted buses organised by Al Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in Gaza to the Kerem Shalom border crossing. More buses from Al Majd then brought them to Ramon Airport in Israel, where they were flown out, the official said.
The secretive nature of the flight has raised fears among rights groups that it was part of an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians out of Gaza. Two South African NGOs have claimed Al Majd is affiliated with Israel and is working to remove Palestinians, without offering evidence.
Al Majd describes itself on its website as a Jerusalem-based humanitarian organisation founded in 2010 that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
*November 15 to November 24
*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com
*TV: Ten Sports
*Streaming: Jio Live
*2017 winners: Kerala Kings
*2018 winners: Northern Warriors
MAIN CARD
Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari
Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam
Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni
Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ECBDC%20real-value%20pilot%20held%20with%20three%20partner%20institutions%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20buy%20now%2C%20pay%20later%20regulations%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20for%20the%202023%20launch%20of%20the%20domestic%20card%20initiative%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPhase%20one%20of%20the%20Financial%20Infrastructure%20Transformation%20(FiT)%20completed%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on Quran memorisation:
