By Staff, Agencies

Palestinians who recently departed Gaza through a little-known evacuation route tied to an Israeli war ministry office say they were transported with almost no information, documentation, or understanding of their final destination, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Nineteen-year-old Shahd Abu Samra recounted receiving only a brief text message instructing her to meet at 5 a.m. outside a fish restaurant in Rafah, without any explanation. “I didn’t know where I was going,” she said. “I was just desperate to leave and continue my studies.”

Abu Samra was among over 150 Palestinians flown to South Africa through flights arranged by Al-Majd Europe, an organization with no verifiable office or registration, despite claiming operations from Germany and East Al-Quds. Its website lists no contact information and accepts donations only via cryptocurrency.

Passengers reported responding to Al-Majd’s online ads promising a way out of Gaza. While some paid nothing, others were instructed to pay between $1,400 and nearly $3,000 in Tether at a money-transfer office in central Gaza. After registration, they were added to WhatsApp groups and given assembly instructions.

Travelers were taken by bus through the “Kerem Shalom” crossing, under “Israeli” control, before boarding a plane at “Israel’s” Ramon Airport. Passports were returned without exit stamps, leaving the group unable to prove legal departure to South African authorities. Many only learned their final destination, Johannesburg, while in Nairobi for a connecting flight.

Upon arrival, South African authorities held the passengers on the plane for hours to determine why over 150 Palestinians had arrived without proper travel documents or stated plans. Aid group Gift of the Givers is now caring for more than 200 evacuees, most of whom arrived with only the clothes they were wearing. Many intend to apply for asylum.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Al-Majd is connected to “Israel’s” voluntary migration administration, a war ministry entity established earlier this year. “Israeli” officials have reportedly eased screening for Palestinians seeking to leave Gaza. For travelers, the lack of transparency remained the defining feature. Abu Samra said, “We had no information. We just followed the instructions because it was the only way out.”

South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said Pretoria has launched an official investigation into the unexpected arrival of over 150 Palestinians in Johannesburg. He warned that the operation may be part of a “broader ‘Israeli’ agenda” to relocate Palestinians to various countries. “It’s a clearly orchestrated operation because they are not only being sent to South Africa. There are other countries where such flights have been sent,” Lamola stated.

Authorities are working to determine how the passengers boarded without the necessary permits or departure stamps. Lamola emphasized that Pretoria does not want further flights to arrive, describing the situation as “a clear agenda to cleanse out the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank.”

Reports indicate that Al-Majd has also organized flights to Indonesia and Malaysia, collaborating with “Israeli” officials on so-called “voluntary immigration” plans, previously including discussions on relocating Palestinians to countries such as South Sudan.

The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa condemned the operation, calling it an unregistered and misleading organization exploiting Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The embassy warned against human trafficking networks, “blood merchants,” and displacement agents, urging Palestinians not to engage with such entities.

South Africa has been a longstanding advocate for Palestinian rights, having initiated a genocide case against “Israel” at the International Court of Justice [ICJ] in 2023.