South Africans Debate As News Alleges Links Between Palestinian Refugee Plane and Israeli Military

• The South African government has clarified that it will be launching an investigation into the landing of the chartered plane with 153 Palestinian refugees last Thursday, November 12, 2025
• This comes as the decision to award the refugees temporary visas drew international attention as well as intense debates among South Africans
• Latest international news coverage claim links have been made with the organisation responsible for the charter as well as the Israeli military, calling South Africans to critically question the motive behind the incident.

South African government announces investigation

The South African government has announced that it will investigate the landing of a chartered plane carrying 153 Palestinian refugees on Thursday, November 12, 2025. The decision to grant the refugees temporary visas has sparked international attention and intense debate among South Africans.

Speaking at a G20 preparedness briefing, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola expressed concern over the unexpected arrival of the group and assured the country that the government was investigating.

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"We are suspicious like the South African government about the circumstances as to whether there is some shady work and so forth. We are suspicious about the arrival of the plane and its passengers. This matter is a subject of an investigation.

International news outlets alleged ties with Israeli military

Recent news reports have raised concerns about the organisation responsible for the charter and its alleged links to the Israeli military, prompting questions among South Africans about the motives behind the event.

Al Jazeera reported that an Estonian-Israeli national named Tom Lind is behind the organisation, Al Majd Europe, in charge of the flight. It is also claimed that this organisation has collaborated with a military unit in the Israeli army responsible for the forced transfer of Palestinians in Gaza. According to the report, the organisation has facilitated several such flights, with the apparent goal of relocating Palestinians from their homeland.

Lamola commented on these new allegations, stating firmly that South Africa will not accept any further flights of this nature.

It does look like it represents a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine into many different parts of the world, and is a clearly orchestrated operation because it is not only South Africa, but also other parts of the world where flights have been sent. We do not want any further flights to come to South Africa.

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The South African and International community reacts below:

@Hobote2 said:

@PresidencyZA@HomeAffairs this really needs to be investigated properly. It cannot be that these people are just let into the country just like that. But then again we have porous boarders by design by our useless politicians.

@haniefhaider commented:

@kaysexwale Saw your report in Sunday Times. Was thinking the same. The timing of this and G20 is no coincidence. This is the handiwork of Israel from A to Z. @GiftoftheGivers@Ayesha_Bagus@meganshead@phakxx@Truebz@nazier_paulsen@kimheller3@Princymthombeni

@Mabheila said:

South African government is a pushover, Israel thinks of dumping people to that nation and South Africa welcomes them without any question. Waste of a country.

@times3stillpat added:

Ethnic cleansing??? They wanted to leave made plans and paid for it.. it's what the rich Gazans do, no one helps the poor not even Hamas.

@dsisme48 argued:

It was voluntary. They left voluntarily so it isn’t ethnic cleansing. I admit, they were playing a game with South Africa but these people left voluntarily. They are victims of a prank on South Africa but they were not ethnically cleansed. And it would be stupid to put signage up so they and the people leaving voluntarily can be targeted. That’s common sense. But Al Jazeera and Failestinians don’t have common sense, do they?

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Gift of the Givers come to the rescue of the Palestinian Refugees

Briefly News reported on a charter flight that landed at OR Tambo International Airport last Thursday. The flight had departed from Israel and made a stopover in Kenya before arriving in Johannesburg. The Palestinian passengers on board did not have the required stamps in their passports, which led the Border Management Authority to deny them entry. However, the organization Gift of the Givers intervened by coordinating with the Department of International Relations and Home Affairs, ultimately securing temporary visas for the passengers. Gift of the Givers Imtiaaz Sooliman has since commented and called the incident, a 'forced migration' by Israel who took advantage of people traumatised by two years of genocide.

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Source: Briefly News