The Mystery Of 150 Gazans Transported By Carter Planes 'Refuges' To South Africa

JAKARTA - South African intelligence agencies are investigating who is behind the chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-torn Gaza.

Reported by the Associated Press, Saturday, November 15, the plane did not have valid travel documents and was stuck on the runway for about 12 hours.

The plane landed Thursday morning at Tambo O.R. International Airport, but new passengers were allowed to descend late into the evening after an immigration interview with Palestinians.

From the interview, information was revealed that they could not say where or how long they lived in South Africa, the South African border agency said.

The Palestinian also does not have an exit stamp or slip that is usually issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.

The actions of South African authorities initially refusing to allow passengers to get off the plane sparked scathing criticism from non-governmental organizations, which said 153 Palestinians including a family with children and a woman who was nine months pregnant were being held in dire conditions on the plane, which was very hot and had no food or water.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was underway to reveal how Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.

"They are people from Gaza who have somehow been mysteriously taken to the plane that passed through Nairobi and arrived here," Ramaphosa said.