South Africa warns of ‘orchestrated’ effort to cleanse Palestinians

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola has raised the alarm over the recent arrival of Palestinians flown out of Gaza, saying the pattern points to a “clearly orchestrated operation”.

Speaking to reporters in Johannesburg on Monday, Lamola said the transfers “represent a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine into many different parts of the world”.

He warned that Pretoria “does not want any further flights to come our way, because this is a clear agenda to cleanse out the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank”.

At least two aircraft carrying hundreds of Palestinians have already landed in South Africa. The flights were arranged by a little-known organisation that critics say is working in tandem with Israeli authorities, fuelling concerns that forced displacement is being dressed up as humanitarian relocation.