160 Palestinian Refugees Trapped On Plane For 13 Hours At OR Tambo

After spending more than 13 gruelling hours trapped aboard a grounded aircraft at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, 160 Palestinian refugees have finally been allowed to disembark and enter South Africa on Thursday evening.

The group, made up of men, women and children fleeing the war in Gaza, arrived on a Global Airways charter flight from Nairobi early in the morning — only to be declared inadmissible on arrival and held on the tarmac without permission to enter the country.

Palestine Refugees Chaos at OR Tambo

For hours, confusion reigned as immigration officials, airline staff, and government departments scrambled to resolve the impasse.

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Global Airways said the passengers’ travel documents and passenger list had been submitted to authorities 24 hours before departure, in full compliance with protocol.

“All of the passengers have now been allowed off the plane and cleared through immigration,” the airline confirmed late on Thursday. “They are finally safe and in South Africa.”

The passengers — all Palestinian nationals who left Gaza on 12 November — travelled from Israel to Kenya before connecting to Johannesburg.

Many had no assurance of their final destination, with officials negotiating for hours before finally granting them entry.

‘Inhumane Conditions’

Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers was among the first to reach the stranded group, delivering food, medical care and emergency supplies to the exhausted travellers.

“These people endured 13 hours in inhumane conditions after fleeing a war zone,” the organisation said.

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“Many wish to apply for asylum in South Africa, while others plan to continue to other destinations.”

Founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman commended the swift intervention by Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor, calling their actions a reflection of South Africa’s humanitarian and pro-Palestinian stance.

‘Israel Made Them Stateless’

According to Sooliman, the crisis arose when Israeli authorities refused to stamp the refugees’ passports upon their departure — effectively rendering them stateless when they arrived in South Africa.

“Israel deliberately did not stamp the passports of these poor people to exacerbate their suffering,” he said. “We thank the South African government for intervening and receiving them with compassion.”

Gift of the Givers, together with civil society partners, are now assisting the group as they begin asylum processes and find temporary shelter.

The emotional scenes at OR Tambo marked both a bureaucratic failure and a moral triumph — a moment where South Africa’s stance on human rights was tested and ultimately reaffirmed.

“The right to seek refuge and safety must never be denied,” said one volunteer on the ground. “These people escaped bombs in Gaza, only to face uncertainty on our tarmac. Today, compassion prevailed.”

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