Johannesburg\/Gaza
\nA Palestinian evacuee from Gaza has described a harrowing 24-hour journey that took him and 152 others from the besieged enclave to South Africa\u2014without knowing their final destination until midway through the trip.
\nLoay Abu Saif, who fled Gaza with his wife and children, told Al Jazeera that their departure\u2014facilitated through a controversial transit scheme\u2014was a \u201ctrip of suffering\u201d marked by uncertainty, security checks, and confusion over travel documents.
\nAbu Saif said the group left Gaza not knowing where they would end up. \u201cWe were not too convinced that any group would be able to make this kind of evacuation,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I can say I feel safe now, which means a lot for Palestinians, especially for those in Gaza.\u201d
\nDetails emerging from evacuees indicate that the Israeli military facilitated the group\u2019s movement through territory it controls. According to reports, the passengers were transported by bus from Rafah to the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, where they underwent checks before being taken onward to Israel\u2019s Ramon Airport.
\nAl Jazeera\u2019s correspondent in Amman said it was \u201cunlikely\u201d that such an evacuation could occur without Israeli oversight, noting strict restrictions along the so-called \u201cyellow line\u201d in Gaza, where anyone approaching without permission risks being shot.
\nA journey shrouded in uncertainty
\nThe chartered flight left Ramon Airport, transited through Nairobi, Kenya, and arrived in Johannesburg on Thursday morning. However, passengers were initially barred from disembarking because their documents lacked Israeli departure stamps\u2014a requirement for entry.
\n\u201cWe realised the problem when we reached South Africa and they asked us, \u2018Where are you coming from?\u2019\u201d Abu Saif said.
\nThe group had registered through Al-Majd Europe, a Germany-based nonprofit with an office in Jerusalem. Abu Saif said the organisation advertised its evacuation program online and appeared to prioritise families with children who held valid Palestinian travel documents and had received Israeli security clearance.
\nPassengers were instructed not to carry luggage besides essential documents. Each evacuee was charged $1,400 to $2,000, with parents paying the same amount per child or infant.
\nWhat happens next
\nSouth African authorities confirmed that of the 153 Palestinians who landed, 130 were allowed entry, while 23 continued to other destinations.
\nAbu Saif said many evacuees had onward plans, with some already traveling to Australia, Indonesia, or Malaysia within 48 hours. Others chose to remain in South Africa for medical or financial reasons.
\nThe nonprofit that organised the evacuation reportedly offered support for only a week or two, after which families must arrange their own accommodation and long-term plans.
\n\u201cPeople have calculated that the cost of life in any country will be cheaper compared to the cost of living in Gaza,\u201d Abu Saif said.
\nThe case has added fuel to growing concerns among activists who accuse Israel of encouraging Palestinian displacement through coordinated evacuation schemes\u2014claims Israel has not publicly addressed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Johannesburg\/Gaza A Palestinian evacuee from Gaza has described a harrowing 24-hour journey that took him and 152 others from the besieged enclave to South Africa\u2014without knowing their final destination until midway through the trip. Loay Abu Saif, who fled Gaza with his wife and children, told Al Jazeera that their departure\u2014facilitated through a controversial transit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":514975,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-514952","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n