Secret Flights Evacuate Palestinians from Gaza to Distant Shores
The arrival of a plane carrying approximately 150 Palestinians from Gaza in South Africa last November created a profound sense of surprise and confusion among local authorities and observers on the ground. This mysterious flight was not an isolated incident but part of a broader, covert evacuation operation that has been quietly unfolding since May of this year.
Multiple Flights to Unexpected Destinations
At least three separate flights filled with Gaza residents who had voluntarily signed up to leave the war-torn enclave have landed in both Indonesia and South Africa over recent months. These evacuations have transported hundreds of Palestinians to destinations thousands of miles from their homeland, creating what South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola described as evidence of a "clear agenda to cleanse out the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank."
The operation has been shrouded in secrecy, with most passengers unaware of who was organizing their escape or what motivations lay behind their sudden relocation to distant continents.
Israeli Organization Behind the Operation
An extensive Associated Press investigation has uncovered that an Israeli group called Ad Kan, whose founder strongly supported former U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial proposal to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, is the driving force behind these evacuation flights. The revelation raises significant questions about the true motives behind what has been presented as humanitarian evacuations.
Ad Kan, which translates to "enough is enough" in Hebrew, has maintained a careful distance from the actual flight operations. The organization worked through another company called Al-Majd, which describes itself as a humanitarian entity "supporting Palestinian lives" to obscure its Israeli connections and organize the complex logistics of international evacuation.
Complex Web of Connections and Motives
According to documents obtained by AP investigators including contracts, passenger lists, text messages, financial statements, and interviews with more than two dozen Israelis, Palestinians, and other individuals involved with the trips, Ad Kan has created a sophisticated system to distance itself from the evacuation flights while maintaining operational control.
The organization was founded by Israeli soldiers and former intelligence officers and has historically worked covertly to infiltrate groups and expose what they claim are antisemitic or anti-Israel activities. Its founder, Gilad Ach, is an Israeli combat reservist and West Bank settler activist who was a staunch supporter of Trump's 2023 proposal to transfer 2 million Palestinians out of Gaza.
While Trump eventually abandoned his plan after it drew widespread international condemnation and accusations from Palestinians, human rights organizations, and even the United Nations secretary-general that such proposals could amount to ethnic cleansing, far-right Israeli groups including members of the current governing coalition continue to advocate for removing Gaza's Palestinian population.
Passengers Focused on Survival, Not Politics
For the Palestinian families who boarded these flights, the political motivations behind their evacuation mattered less than their desperate need to escape the devastation of Gaza. "There was famine, and we had no options. My children were almost killed," said a 37-year-old Palestinian who arrived in South Africa in November and spoke on condition of anonymity like other passengers.
Another Palestinian who used Al-Majd to send his wife and son to South Africa explained: "I agreed to the flight, and I didn't know the destination. All I cared about was getting my family out of Gaza." Most passengers interviewed said they were unaware that Israelis were organizing the flights but emphasized that this knowledge wouldn't have changed their decision to leave.
Broader Geopolitical Context
The evacuation flights occur against a backdrop of escalating regional tensions, including the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict that has seen threats to oil infrastructure and international calls for naval deployments to the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly dismissed rumors about his health while Israel's government, with U.S. knowledge, has approached several African governments including Somaliland, South Sudan, and Sudan about facilitating emigration from Gaza.
Gilad Ach declined interview requests for this story but stated in a text message that he was proud to lead organizations supporting the rights of Palestinians in Gaza who wish to leave for safer parts of the world, free from Hamas control.
The secret evacuation flights represent a complex intersection of humanitarian need, political agendas, and geopolitical maneuvering, raising fundamental questions about the future of Gaza's population and the ethics of international resettlement operations during ongoing conflict.
