Johannesburg, South Africa – South African authorities have allowed 153 Palestinian airline passengers to disembark after being held on a chartered plane for nearly 12 hours at OR Tambo International Airport, officials confirmed on Thursday night.

The passengers were initially prevented from leaving the aircraft by border police because their passports lacked the customary departure stamps and they did not provide information about the length of their stay or accommodation addresses, the South African Border Management Authority (BMA) said.

“Following their failure to pass the immigration test and given that none of the travellers expressed an intention to apply for asylum, they were initially denied entry,” the BMA added.

Humanitarian Intervention

The deadlock ended after South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs received a guarantee from the local humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers to provide accommodation for the passengers during their stay.

“Given that Palestinians are eligible for 90-day visa-exempt travel to South Africa, they have been processed as per normal and will be required to adhere to all conditions of entry,” the BMA said.

Of the 153 passengers, 130 entered South Africa, while 23 were transferred to other destinations.

Context of the Charter Flights

The flight, operated by South African airline Global Airways, traveled from Kenya. This was the second recent charter to land in Johannesburg carrying Palestinians. The first plane, which brought 176 passengers, arrived on October 28, with some traveling onward to other countries.

Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, said the passengers were distressed after years of suffering in Gaza.

“Those people are really distraught coming from two years of genocide,” Sooliman told public broadcaster SABC.

He added that Israel appears to have deliberately withheld passport stamps for the passengers, exacerbating their difficulties abroad.

Social worker Nigel Branken, who assisted the passengers, said they reported being ordered by Israeli authorities to leave belongings behind before boarding an unmarked plane at an Israeli air force base.

“Very clearly all the marks of Israel involved in this operation to take people…to displace them,” Branken told Al Jazeera.

Public Reaction

News of the prolonged tarmac delay sparked public outrage in South Africa, a nation historically supportive of the Palestinian cause and a leading advocate at the International Criminal Court for investigations into alleged Israeli actions in Gaza.

Other humanitarian groups have now stepped forward to support the newly arrived Palestinian visitors, offering aid and assistance during their stay.