Gazans didn’t know who was getting them out or why, and largely didn’t care. Israeli Group Quietly Evacuated Palestinians
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
In November, a plane carrying roughly 150 Palestinians from Gaza touched down in South Africa, catching local officials and residents off guard. This was not an isolated case. Since May, at least three flights transporting Gaza residents who had registered to leave the conflict-ridden territory have arrived in Indonesia and South Africa.
An investigation by the Associated Press has found that an Israeli organization, whose founder was a strong supporter of President Trump’s plan to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, played a central role in organizing these flights. The revelation has sparked questions about the intentions behind relocating hundreds of people from the Gaza Strip. South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola at the time described the operations as part of a “clear agenda to cleanse … the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank.”
The group, Ad Kan, whose name in Hebrew means “enough is enough,” was founded by former soldiers and intelligence personnel. According to contracts, passenger lists, financial records, text messages, and interviews with more than two dozen individuals involved, Ad Kan coordinated the evacuations through another company to obscure its Israeli ties. Many passengers, who had endured more than two years of destructive conflict in Gaza, said they were unaware of who was behind the flights. However, they emphasized that their main concern was simply escaping the violence. “There was famine, and we had no options. My children were almost killed,” said a 37-year-old Palestinian who arrived in South Africa. “Death and destruction was everywhere, all day, for two years, and nobody came to the rescue.”
The flights themselves were handled through a company called Al-Majd, which presents itself as a humanitarian organization offering aid to Palestinian and Muslim communities in conflict zones. Several Palestinians told the AP that they had paid as much as $2,000 per person via banks or cryptocurrency. While many passengers only discovered the Israeli connection later, they said it ultimately made no difference. “I agreed to the flight, and I didn’t know the destination,” said one Palestinian who sent his wife and son to South Africa. “All I cared about was getting my family out of Gaza and saving them.”
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