More than 100 Palestinian refugees fleeing the conflict in Gaza were stranded aboard a plane at OR Tambo International Airport for hours on Thursday after Israeli authorities allegedly refused to stamp their passports.
The charter flight from Nairobi landed this afternoon but passengers, including children and pregnant women, were prevented from disembarking due to South Africaās standard immigration rules requiring an exit stamp from the country of departure.
Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the humanitarian group Gift of the Givers Foundation, said Israelās refusal to stamp the passports was a deliberate act. āIsrael deliberately did not stamp the passports of these poor people to exacerbate their suffering in a foreign country,ā he said.
The impasse was resolved after intervention from the South African government. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola and Director-General of International Relations Zane Dangor requested a waiver of the exit stamp requirement, allowing the refugees to disembark safely.
This group is the second plane of Palestinians South Africa has received, following the arrival of 176 people in late October. South Africa has consistently voiced its solidarity with the Palestinian cause, including bringing a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and calling for global recognition of a Palestinian state.
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