Gaza Herald — A Palestinian man from Gaza, part of a group of 153 evacuees who arrived in South Africa this week without the required documentation, says none of them knew where they would end up when they departed Israel.
Loay Abu Saif, who escaped the devastated enclave with his wife and children, described the trip as “a journey of hardship,” recounting the confusion and fear that accompanied every stage of their escape.
“We never imagined that any organization would truly manage to pull off this kind of evacuation,” he said from Johannesburg, one day after the chartered aircraft carrying the group touched down at OR Tambo International Airport.
He added that finally feeling “safe” was itself a significant moment for Palestinians fleeing the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza.
Growing details suggest that the transfer was part of a controversial initiative run by a non-profit organization, which activists say forms part of a wider pattern of efforts to push Palestinians out of Gaza by facilitating resettlement abroad.
According to Abu Saif, the Israeli military appeared to play a role in enabling the group’s passage through Israeli-controlled territory.
The plane carrying the evacuees departed from Israel’s Ramon Airport, stopped in Nairobi, Kenya, and then continued to Johannesburg on Thursday morning. However, South African authorities at first refused to let the Palestinians disembark because their documents lacked exit stamps, raising immediate questions about how and why they had been allowed to leave Israel.
Altogether, the ordeal stretched more than 24 hours and required switching planes mid-route.
Abu Saif said his family boarded the first flight without knowing their final destination, only learning they were bound for Johannesburg while boarding the connecting flight in Nairobi.
Uncertainty overshadowed nearly every step of the process.
According to Abu Saif, his wife registered the family through a German-based non-profit called Al-Majd Europe, which has an office in Jerusalem. He said the organization circulated registration forms on social media.
As for how they were chosen, he believes the selection prioritized families with children and required valid Palestinian travel documents as well as Israeli security clearance.
“That’s all I know about how they chose people,” he said.
He added that no one was given a clear timeframe for departure.
“They simply told us they would contact us a day before, and that’s exactly what happened.” He also noted that evacuees were instructed to bring only essential documents aside from their luggage.
Abu Saif said families were charged between $1,400 and $2,000 per person, with parents paying the same amount for each child or infant.
Once approved to leave, the family was transported by bus from Rafah in southern Gaza to the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing at the Israeli border. There, they underwent security checks before being moved on toward Ramon Airport.
He said their documents were never stamped by Israeli authorities, something he initially assumed was normal due to the absence of Palestinian border officials in Gaza.
“But we realized the problem once we reached South Africa and were immediately asked, ‘Where are you coming from?’”
Regarding future arrangements, Abu Saif said Al-Majd Europe indicated they could support families for one or two weeks, after which the evacuees would have to manage on their own. The organization provided no further clarity.
Despite this, many evacuees had already planned their next steps.
“Some have paperwork for Australia, Indonesia, or Malaysia. Around 30 percent of the passengers left South Africa the same day or within the first two days,” he said. Others chose to remain, including those seeking medical treatment.
South Africa reported that of the 153 Palestinians who landed, 130 were allowed entry, while 23 continued onward to different countries.
“For many families, the cost of life anywhere else feels lower than the cost of simply surviving in Gaza,” Abu Saif said.
