South Africa Claims to Have Granted Entry to Gazan Refugees on Mysterious Plane Amid Controversy Over Alleged Ethnic Cleansing Effort.
The Israeli army has admitted that the 176 Gazans who arrived in South Africa on a mysterious plane had been granted entry by the country itself, contradicting earlier claims that Israel was solely responsible for their transport. According to Shimi Zuaretz, a COGAT spokesperson, South African authorities gave permission for the refugees' arrival after Israel received approval from the third country β in this case, South Africa.
However, the admission raises suspicions about Israel's intentions, with critics accusing the country of perpetuating ethnic cleansing by sending Gazans out. This claim was first voiced by a COGAT spokesperson who stated that South Africa initially invited the refugees and authorized their arrival before backtracking and denying any knowledge of the arrangement.
The refugees were held on the plane for 12 hours after landing in Johannesburg due to a lack of departure stamps from Israel in their passports. It wasn't until an NGO, Gift of the Givers, offered them accommodation that they were finally allowed to disembark. The organization claimed it did not know who chartered the flight or a previous one that brought 176 Gazans on October 28.
Israel's official stance is that it facilitates the departure of Gaza residents through Israel to receiving countries for specific reasons such as medical treatment, dual citizenship, and family ties, as well as those possessing visas from third countries. However, critics argue that this claim does not apply in the case of the mysterious plane arrivals.
The incident has sparked controversy in South Africa, where President Cyril Ramaphosa described the situation as "like they were being flushed out." The country's home affairs ministry reported that 130 refugees entered the country, while the remaining 23 took onward flights to other destinations.
The Israeli army has admitted that the 176 Gazans who arrived in South Africa on a mysterious plane had been granted entry by the country itself, contradicting earlier claims that Israel was solely responsible for their transport. According to Shimi Zuaretz, a COGAT spokesperson, South African authorities gave permission for the refugees' arrival after Israel received approval from the third country β in this case, South Africa.
However, the admission raises suspicions about Israel's intentions, with critics accusing the country of perpetuating ethnic cleansing by sending Gazans out. This claim was first voiced by a COGAT spokesperson who stated that South Africa initially invited the refugees and authorized their arrival before backtracking and denying any knowledge of the arrangement.
The refugees were held on the plane for 12 hours after landing in Johannesburg due to a lack of departure stamps from Israel in their passports. It wasn't until an NGO, Gift of the Givers, offered them accommodation that they were finally allowed to disembark. The organization claimed it did not know who chartered the flight or a previous one that brought 176 Gazans on October 28.
Israel's official stance is that it facilitates the departure of Gaza residents through Israel to receiving countries for specific reasons such as medical treatment, dual citizenship, and family ties, as well as those possessing visas from third countries. However, critics argue that this claim does not apply in the case of the mysterious plane arrivals.
The incident has sparked controversy in South Africa, where President Cyril Ramaphosa described the situation as "like they were being flushed out." The country's home affairs ministry reported that 130 refugees entered the country, while the remaining 23 took onward flights to other destinations.