Palestinians Spend $2,000 Each to Leave Gaza for South Africa

Last week, more than 130 Palestinians, including families escaping the ravaged Gaza Strip, arrived in Johannesburg after paying $2,000 per person for flights facilitated by an organization purportedly arranging evacuations from the war-torn region. This chartered journey, which made a stop in Nairobi, has led South African officials to look into potential irregularities and issues surrounding forced displacement.

Two Palestinians who spoke with Reuters shared the distressing reasons that forced them to leave Gaza. One of them, Ramzi Abu Youssef, 42, a lymphoma patient, recounted fleeing with his wife and three children after losing two daughters in an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in June 2024. “I had to leave for treatment and a better future for my family,” he stated from Johannesburg.

Another Palestinian, who chose to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, outlined being compelled to evacuate his home in Deir al-Balah several times amid continuous bombardments. Accompanied by his wife and two young children, aged four and two, their accounts reflect the dire realities in Gaza more than a month since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was declared amid the 2023 conflict.

Ronald Lamola, the South African Foreign Minister, expressed worries about the flight, interpreting it as part of a wider strategy aimed at displacing Palestinians. “It appears to represent a larger agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine,” Lamola remarked during a press event on Monday. Current inquiries aim to establish whether the group secured the necessary permits for exit and entry.

Israel has rejected claims of genocide in Gaza, asserting that such allegations are politically motivated and stating that Palestinians can leave if they obtain the required approvals. The Israeli military’s COGAT unit confirmed that the departing Palestinians had permission from a third country and valid visas, although Lamola noted that South African authorities had yet to confirm these details.

The evacuation effort was organized by an entity known as Al-Majd Europe, which promoted online opportunities for families seeking to escape Gaza. The interviewed Palestinians mentioned that participants needed to possess passports and complete security clearance procedures.

Upon reaching Johannesburg, many Palestinians were without departure stamps, return tickets, or confirmed lodging. Abu Youssef mentioned that his family and others were issued 90-day visas, with some finding shelter in hostels and others being accommodated by local Muslim community members. Twenty-three passengers from this flight went on to other locations.

This evacuation sheds light on the persistent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 69,000 Palestinians since the conflict erupted in October 2023, following Hamas attacks that resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of 251 individuals. This recent evacuation reveals the desperate steps residents are taking to escape the conflict and raises complex international and legal questions relating to movement from the enclave.

The evacuation has ignited global debate, probing into the legality of such arrangements, the obligations of foreign governments, and the far-reaching implications for displaced populations amid the continued unrest in Gaza.