Gazans on the Move: Inside the Plan to Send Them to South Africa, Malaysia, and Indonesia

A total of 153 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, in a sudden and uncoordinated move, where they were held on the plane for around 12 hours before being allowed entry on November 13, 2025. 

The non-governmental organization Gift the Givers then provided temporary accommodation for them.

Their arrival in this manner has raised widespread questions about how they managed to leave Gaza, now in its second year under devastating Israeli attacks, with all crossings from the blockaded territory closed to civilian movement. 

The incident has sparked debate over the entities or countries behind the transfers of Gazans to South Africa and other nations such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Denied Entry

Regarding the initial denial of entry, South Africa’s border police said the Palestinians were held on the plane that brought them because their passports lacked exit stamps issued by Israeli authorities.

The Palestinians remained on the airport tarmac for many hours, a situation that sparked outrage among local civil society groups and prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene, allowing them to enter the country.

Speaking to journalists the following day, Ramaphosa said, “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.”

South Africa has long been a prominent supporter of the Palestinian cause, going so far as to take legal action against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice over alleged genocide in Gaza.

In a notable comment, Ramaphosa expressed concern, saying that it seems they are being expelled by Israel. We will obtain the details later.

He added that the government had opened an investigation into the mysterious charter flights that transported Palestinians to South Africa without completing the usual documentation and official procedures.

This was not the first flight of its kind; another plane carrying 176 Palestinians landed on October 28, 2025, but entry proceeded without notable obstacles. 

The most recent flight, however, stopped first in Nairobi, Kenya, before arriving in South Africa without exit stamps in the passengers’ passports, reigniting accusations that "Israel" is facilitating the forced departure of Gaza residents.

Of the 153 Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg, around 23 traveled onward to other destinations within or outside South Africa, while 130 remained in the country, in addition to the 176 who arrived on the previous flight.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation government said on November 15, 2025, that the 153 Palestinians who finally reached South Africa had left Gaza with the approval of an unnamed “third country.”

Shimi Zuaretz, spokesperson for the Israeli government’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Palestinian Territories, said the departure of Palestinians from Gaza occurred only “after we obtained approval from a third country to receive them.”

Zuaretz added that his office facilitates the exit of Gaza residents via "Israel" to host countries, including patients needing medical treatment, dual nationals and their families, or holders of visas to other destinations.

Who Expelled Them?

"Israel" has not officially disclosed which entity facilitated the Palestinians’ arrival in Johannesburg, but civil society groups in South Africa have raised suspicions about an organization called al-Majd Europe.

Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the organization Gift of the Givers Foundation, described the flight as the second of its kind to reach South Africa in a mysterious, chartered manner, noting that al-Majd Europe has links to "Israel" and coordinates the exit of Gaza residents.

“The passengers did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg. They were given nothing on the plane itself, and this must be challenged and investigated,” as reported in Yedioth Ahronoth, Sooliman added.

Little is known about al-Majd Europe, but an investigation by Al-Estiklal’s correspondent revealed that the shadowy organization had posted a sponsored link on Facebook early in 2025, inviting Gaza residents to register for evacuation.

The group claims to be a German-based organization with offices in Jerusalem, carrying out humanitarian work for Palestinians since 2010, but research shows its website was only created after the latest war on Gaza.

Haaretz reported that the company is run by an Israeli and an Estonian and has facilitated the departure of hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza, offering seats on chartered flights to destinations such as Indonesia and South Africa for around $2,000 each.

Contrary to the organization’s claims, Haaretz confirmed that al-Majd Europe is not registered in Germany or Jerusalem, and that the Israeli military’s voluntary migration office referred the company for coordinating departures.

German tax law requires organizations with tax-exempt status to be listed in the central federal tax office’s (BZSt) public register of charities to receive tax-deductible donations, yet al-Majd Europe does not appear on this list, according to the Jerusalem Post on November 16.

Furthermore, the email address listed on the organization’s website bounces automatically, and the site uses AI-generated images for its executive staff.

Is Palestine Being Exploited?

The first evacuation flights organized by al-Majd Europe took place in May 2025, offered free of charge as a promotional step, when registered participants received WhatsApp messages from Israeli numbers instructing around 57 Palestinians to prepare for travel.

On May 27, they were transported by bus from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza to Israel’s Ramon Airport, where an al-Majd Europe staff member received them, and hotels were booked for them for a month at their destinations.

Following the apparent success of the first flight, which the organization used to prove its credibility, al-Majd Europe began charging between $2,000 and $5,000 per person wishing to leave.

The Palestinian embassy in South Africa said the most recent flight had been organized by an “unregistered and misleading” group that exploited Gaza’s dire conditions, deceived families, collected money, and arranged travel irresponsibly, abandoning them when obstacles arose.

The embassy did not name the group directly, but an Israeli Occupation Forces source described it as al-Majd, according to Yedioth Ahronoth in mid-November.

The newspaper reported that the organization claimed to have helped more than 150 Palestinians leave Gaza, and the source said "Israel" had coordinated the entry of buses from the Kerem Shalom crossing to Ramon Airport to facilitate their departure.

Israeli Displacement Plan

Over two years of Israeli attacks on Gaza, "Israel" sought to implement multiple plans to displace Palestinians from the enclave, but these efforts were thwarted by the resilience of residents and the refusal of several countries to accept Palestinian refugees, preventing those plans from materializing.

Nevertheless, "Israel" continues to facilitate the departure of any Palestinian requested by or approved for reception by another country, including the wounded and ill, family members of dual nationals, students with scholarships, and skilled individuals that certain countries wish to host.

Human rights organizations have raised concerns that recent flights transporting Palestinians from Gaza may be part of a systematic Israeli plan to displace the population.

According to Israeli coordinating bodies, around 40,000 Palestinians have left Gaza since the start of the war, under arrangements that "Israel" says were approved by other countries.

In this context, "Israel" has allocated chartered planes for Palestinians, previously hiring a Romanian aircraft to transport them from Ramon Airport, via transit in Budapest, to destinations such as Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

Suspicions have also arisen regarding the role of the United Arab Emirates in facilitating and executing these displacement plans, as it is believed to assist in moving Palestinians to Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Africa.

A young man from Gaza living in Dubai told Al-Estiklal, "There is an organization, which I won’t name, working with the UAE government, registering Palestinian families with members in the Gulf state for evacuation."

"I registered my family for evacuation to the UAE and then to Indonesia, because there is still no solution to the Gaza crisis, including the opening of Rafah crossing and normal travel," he added.

He said the evacuation was conditional on signing a pledge not to return to Gaza, with each individual receiving $5,000 upon departure to the host country.

"These plans may have ended with the war, but the UAE was leading and funding this initiative, intending to send thousands of Palestinians to countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Libya, South Africa, and others," he continued.

Palestinian circles have warned of the dangers of dealing with al-Majd Europe, suggesting it may be an Israeli intelligence arm seeking to displace Gazans.

In February 2025, Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, announced the creation of a new directorate called “Voluntary Emigration” policy for Gaza Residents, coinciding with al-Majd Europe’s activity, confirming that displacement has become official policy rather than just leaks or secret plans.

Palestinian media argue that the use of Israeli airports and travel routes controlled by Israeli Occupation Forces indicates an organized project to gradually test displacement routes, while also collecting security data on the population.

In this context, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned all parties facilitating the entry of Palestinians from Gaza, misleading them, or engaging in trafficking, stating they will bear full legal responsibility and be referred to local and international judicial bodies, urging extreme caution and avoidance of these entities.