‘Trip of suffering’: Gaza evacuee details 24-hour journey to South Africa

A nonmigratory of the Gaza Strip, who is 1 of 153 Palestinians that landed successful South Africa without the close paperwork this week, says the radical did not cognize wherever they would extremity up erstwhile they near Israel.

Loay Abu Saif, who fled Gaza with his woman and children, told Al Jazeera connected Friday that the travel retired of the battered and besieged enclave was a “trip of suffering”.

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“We were not excessively convinced that immoderate radical … would beryllium capable to marque this benignant of evacuation,” Abu Saif said from Johannesburg, a time aft the chartered level his radical was connected landed astatine the city’s OR Tambo International Airport.

“I tin accidental I consciousness harmless … which means a batch for Palestinians, particularly for those successful Gaza,” helium added.

Details are dilatory emerging of a controversial transit scheme tally by a non-profit, done which activists accidental Israel is encouraging the displacement of Palestinians retired of Gaza by helping them settee successful different countries.

Based connected Abu Saif’s grounds to Al Jazeera, the Israeli subject appears to person facilitated his group’s transportation done an Israeli airport.

The formation carrying Abu Saif near Israel’s Ramon Airport and transited done Nairobi, Kenya, earlier landing successful Johannesburg connected Thursday morning, wherever authorities did not initially let the passengers to disembark arsenic the Palestinians did not person departure stamps from Israel connected their documents.

All successful all, the travel lasted much than 24 hours and progressive a alteration of planes.

Abu Saif said his household near Gaza without knowing their last destination. They lone learned they were bound for Johannesburg erstwhile boarding their connecting formation successful Nairobi.

Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, Jordan, connected Friday, said Israel was yet to remark connected the issue, but it was improbable the Palestinians who near did truthful without “Israeli coordination”.

“Nobody tin attack that imaginary yellowish enactment [in Gaza] without being changeable at. These radical had to beryllium bused done the yellowish line, done the 53 percent of Gaza that the Israeli service inactive controls and is operating successful retired of Gaza, done Israel to the Ramon airport,” she reported.

Uncertainty loomed

According to Abu Saif, his woman registered the household with a nonprofit called Al-Majd Europe, with office successful Germany with an bureau successful Jerusalem, according to their website.

The radical advertised the registration signifier connected societal media, helium revealed. On however helium was selected, Abu Saif said the process appeared to absorption connected families with children and required a valid Palestinian question document, on with information clearance from Israel.

“This is each what I cognize astir the criteria,” helium said.

When asked whether helium knew successful beforehand erstwhile they would permission Gaza, helium said nary timelines were given.

“They told america … we volition pass you 1 time earlier – that’s what happened,” helium said, adding that the organisation told them not to transportation immoderate idiosyncratic bags oregon luggage but applicable documents.

In presumption of cost, radical were charged astir $1,400-$2,000 per idiosyncratic for the trip, Abu Saif said. Parents besides paid the aforesaid interest per kid oregon babe they carried with them.

After they were selected to leave, Abu Saif and his household were taken by autobus from the confederate Gaza metropolis of Rafah to the Karem Abu Salem crossing (called Kerem Shalom successful Israel), on the borderline with Israel, wherever they underwent checks earlier being transferred onward towards Israel’s Ramon Airport.

He said their question documents were not stamped by Israeli authorities, but helium thought it was conscionable a regular process since determination were nary Palestinian borderline officials successful Gaza.

“We realised the occupation … erstwhile we reached South Africa and they were asking america … ‘Where are you coming from?'” Abu Saif said.

Future plans

The radical that organised the trip, Al-Majd Europe, said they would beryllium capable to assistance his household for a week oregon two, aft which they would beryllium connected their own, Abu Saif said.

However, helium added that the evacuees had made their ain plans going forward.

“They person their papers for Australia, Indonesia, oregon Malaysia. We tin accidental that 30 percent of the full fig of passengers near South Africa connected the aforesaid time oregon wrong the archetypal 2 days,” helium said, portion others whitethorn take to enactment for respective reasons, including receiving treatment.

South African authorities reported that of the 153 Palestinians who landed connected Thursday, 130 entered the country, portion 23 transferred to different destinations.

“People person calculated that the outgo of beingness successful immoderate state … volition beryllium cheaper compared to the outgo of surviving successful Gaza,” said Abu Saif.