In a stunning display of humanitarian exploitation, a chartered plane carrying 153 Palestinians from war-torn Gaza landed in South Africa last week, leaving authorities scrambling to understand how this operation came together. The group, which included families with young children and pregnant women, was reportedly paid a hefty sum by the shadowy organization behind it - Al-Majd Europe.
According to those who were on board, they were told just days before their departure from Gaza that they would be leaving, with limited belongings and cash. Their travel documents had not been stamped by Israeli authorities, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of the operation. The group's final destination was unknown until it landed in Johannesburg, where they were met by a local charity organization that took them into care.
Al-Majd Europe, the organization behind the flight, claims to coordinate evacuations from conflict zones but its true intentions and modus operandi are far from clear. The website, which is registered in Germany but appears to be based in occupied East Jerusalem, boasts of helping Palestinian families escape their homes under the guise of providing "safe passage". However, many have raised questions about the authenticity of these claims.
One post on the organization's website tells the story of a fictional woman named Mona, who was supposedly relocated from Lebanon to safety. The photo accompanying this narrative has been identified as that of Abeer Khayat, photographed in 2024 for Middle East Eye - a clear case of photoshopping and deception.
Those involved in the operation have spoken about how families were coerced into paying large sums of money for the privilege of leaving Gaza, with some reportedly being asked to pay upwards of $2,000 each. The process by which these individuals were tracked down and recruited is unclear, but it appears that there was prior coordination with Israeli authorities.
The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa has denounced Al-Majd Europe as an "unregistered and misleading organization" that exploited the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to further its own interests. The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also warned Palestinians about networks seeking to remove them from their homes, implying that this operation may be part of a broader strategy.
As South African authorities launch investigations into the incident, one thing is clear: the situation is deeply concerning and requires immediate attention. How many more Palestinians have been targeted by these shadowy organizations? And what exactly are Al-Majd Europe's true intentions - to provide humanitarian aid or further Israel's interests? The answers remain unclear, but one thing is certain: this incident has raised serious red flags about the treatment of Palestinian refugees and the exploitation of human suffering.
According to those who were on board, they were told just days before their departure from Gaza that they would be leaving, with limited belongings and cash. Their travel documents had not been stamped by Israeli authorities, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of the operation. The group's final destination was unknown until it landed in Johannesburg, where they were met by a local charity organization that took them into care.
Al-Majd Europe, the organization behind the flight, claims to coordinate evacuations from conflict zones but its true intentions and modus operandi are far from clear. The website, which is registered in Germany but appears to be based in occupied East Jerusalem, boasts of helping Palestinian families escape their homes under the guise of providing "safe passage". However, many have raised questions about the authenticity of these claims.
One post on the organization's website tells the story of a fictional woman named Mona, who was supposedly relocated from Lebanon to safety. The photo accompanying this narrative has been identified as that of Abeer Khayat, photographed in 2024 for Middle East Eye - a clear case of photoshopping and deception.
Those involved in the operation have spoken about how families were coerced into paying large sums of money for the privilege of leaving Gaza, with some reportedly being asked to pay upwards of $2,000 each. The process by which these individuals were tracked down and recruited is unclear, but it appears that there was prior coordination with Israeli authorities.
The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa has denounced Al-Majd Europe as an "unregistered and misleading organization" that exploited the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to further its own interests. The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also warned Palestinians about networks seeking to remove them from their homes, implying that this operation may be part of a broader strategy.
As South African authorities launch investigations into the incident, one thing is clear: the situation is deeply concerning and requires immediate attention. How many more Palestinians have been targeted by these shadowy organizations? And what exactly are Al-Majd Europe's true intentions - to provide humanitarian aid or further Israel's interests? The answers remain unclear, but one thing is certain: this incident has raised serious red flags about the treatment of Palestinian refugees and the exploitation of human suffering.
This whole situation with Al-Majd Europe is really shady 
. They're preying on desperate Palestinians who just want to escape their homes, but they're not even transparent about what's going on. I mean, how can you claim to be helping people when you're charging them thousands of dollars for a chance to leave? It's basically human trafficking in disguise.
. It's like they're trying to make everyone believe their lies so they can continue to exploit people. I'm really worried about all these families who were left stranded in Johannesburg with no idea what was going on.
.
I'm literally shaking with anger rn! 
how can people do this to innocent families? they're just trying to escape their homes, left with nothing but a few bucks and no documents... it's insane that these orgs are taking advantage of them like this. 
Al-Majd Europe is basically a bunch of freeloaders 
and what about all these poor families who were coerced into paying thousands of dollars... it's just not right! 
I'm seriously worried about these "humanitarian" organizations popping up out of nowhere and making a ton of money off the backs of desperate people. Like, what's going on here? 
They're exploiting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza just to line their own pockets. And who's actually helping the Palestinians? 
And those "safe passage" claims? 
This operation is totally shady 
️ It's like they were herded out like sheep 
. And the fact that families had to pay thousands of dollars to leave... 
that's just outrageous! 
. We need answers ASAP 
and some serious consequences for whoever is behind this 
. Can't we trust the organizations claiming to help refugees? 
And what's even more concerning is that there might be more of these operations happening, targeting innocent people for personal gain.
It's time to get some answers and demand transparency - our empathy and compassion shouldn't be used as a means to an end, but rather to genuinely support those in need. 