The latest reports of Palestinians being charged for evacuation flights out of Gaza are intensifying global questions about who is orchestrating the movement of displaced families, why they are being flown to distant countries without clear documentation, and how vulnerable civilians are being pulled into complex geopolitical dynamics. The issue gained new momentum after South Africa halted additional charter flights this week, calling the sudden arrival of 153 Palestinians a mystery and demanding clarity from international authorities.
Al Jazeera’s investigation shows that several Palestinian families who were removed from Gaza in recent months were asked to pay substantial fees before boarding evacuation flights. According to passenger testimonies, payments were demanded through agents and intermediaries to facilitate exit processing, travel documentation and seats on chartered aircraft. For families already facing severe humanitarian trauma, the financial burden has added a new layer of distress that has been met with growing outrage online and across the region.
The controversy deepened after the latest group of Palestinians landed in Johannesburg without proper travel documents and were detained on the tarmac for 12 hours. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered an immediate investigation, saying the circumstances surrounding their arrival raised serious concerns. Officials said they were not informed in advance of the flight, its sponsors or the identities of those coordinating the movement of passengers.
For South African authorities, the lack of documentation was not the only red flag. The group included vulnerable individuals who had fled months of bombardment and displacement, yet it remained unclear which entity had organised their relocation and whether the passengers had been properly screened, processed or assisted by any international body. South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs suggested the flight appeared to be privately arranged, prompting questions about who authorised it and for what purpose.
Al Jazeera’s earlier reporting revealed that families previously evacuated from Gaza through Egypt described paying for transport, visa processing, coordination fees and seats on charter flights to third countries. Some described the prices as exploitative, noting that they had little option but to comply if they wanted to leave a war zone. Humanitarian organisations have long warned that desperate civilians are being pushed into opaque systems where middlemen control access to safety.
