Why it matters:
Pretoria has raised alarm over flights bringing Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa, warning the transfers may be part of a broader plan to forcibly displace Palestinians under the guise of humanitarian relocation.
The big picture:
The flights were arranged by a little‑known organization that critics say is working in tandem with Israeli authorities.
Rights advocates argue the transfers risk normalizing forced displacement, reframing it as humanitarian relocation.
What he's saying:
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told reporters Monday in Johannesburg that the arrivals “represent a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine into many different parts of the world.”
He cautioned that South Africa “does not want any further flights to come our way, because this is a clear agenda to cleanse out the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank.”
At least two aircraft carrying hundreds of Palestinians have already landed in South Africa.
What’s next:
South Africa’s warning adds to growing international concern that Palestinians are being systematically removed from Gaza and the West Bank, raising questions about accountability and the role of global institutions in preventing demographic engineering.
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