Overview
- Border authorities initially blocked disembarkation over missing departure stamps, no stated length of stay and no local accommodation details.
- Home Affairs cleared entry once Gift of the Givers guaranteed accommodation, with 130 processed into South Africa and 23 traveling onward.
- Officials said none of the travelers applied for asylum and all held valid Palestinian passports subject to standard entry conditions.
- The Palestinian embassy alleged an unregistered organization exploited families and organized irregular travel, prompting a government probe.
- Claims that Israel withheld passport stamps are disputed, with the South African Zionist Federation noting Israel uses electronic entry and exit slips.