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SvennoJ on 14 November 2025
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The plot thickens

Israeli-Linked Operation behind Gaza Evacuations, Source Reveals

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israeli-linked-operation-behind-gaza-evacuations-source-reveals/

A covert, Israeli-linked network is allegedly facilitating costly and irregular evacuations of Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa, raising fears of a deliberate “soft displacement” scheme.

New, detailed information obtained by the Palestine Chronicle from sources familiar with the matter in South Africa sheds light on the highly irregular process used to move hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza, fueling suspicions that the scheme is an Israeli-linked operation focused on “soft displacement.”

The details follow the recent controversy where 160 Palestinians arriving in Johannesburg were initially delayed by the Border Management Authority (BMA) before being granted entry by instruction from President Cyril Ramaphosa on humanitarian grounds.


Covert Transportation

Na’eem Jeenah, a South African scholar closely familiar with the matter, told the Palestine Chronicle that the operation is facilitated by an organization named Al-Majd. Jeenah stated the organization is reportedly linked to or owned by Israeli interests and may have ties to the Israeli security service (Shabak), adding that the entire process unfolds under conditions of extreme secrecy and coercion.

Jeenah explained the organization’s method of operation:

Gaza residents apply via an Al-Majd website for passage out of the territory and are charged a fee ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 per person.

Applicants receive calls, often at night, instructing them that they will be moved the next morning and that they should bring only a small rucksack.

At the Kerem Shalom Crossing (Karem Abu Salem), Israeli personnel reportedly stop the evacuees and confiscate their rucksacks, allowing them to proceed only with a cellphone, passport, and money.

They are transported via Israeli buses to Ramon Airbase, then placed on a chartered, unmarked flight. At no point are they informed of their final destination, with the journey involving a connection in Nairobi before landing in Johannesburg, or sometimes other cities like Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta. 

Passengers on the recent flight held conflicting hotel booking vouchers for places like Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur, but all ultimately landed in South Africa.

Upon arrival, passengers notably lack an exit stamp or a B/2 form in their passports — a factor activists suggest Israel uses to create a pretext for visa refusal — and possess no return ticket or confirmed accommodation details. 

The first group of 176 Palestinians that arrived on October 28 received their hotel assignments only via WhatsApp after passing through immigration, with their lodgings scattered across Johannesburg.

BMA Standoff and Presidential Resolution

For the initial flight on October 28, passengers were processed and granted the standard 90-day visa exemption to which Palestinians are entitled, despite the clear irregularities.

However, the BMA refused entry to the 160 Palestinians on the November 14 flight, a position that was maintained even after the passengers requested asylum. 

The crisis deepened when the airline threatened to return the group to Nairobi. The situation was resolved only after President Cyril Ramaphosa intervened, instructing that the refugees be allowed to enter the country on a 90-day visa, providing them with time to decide on onward travel or a formal asylum application.


Makes you wonder what all else is going on.