He boarded quietly,
not demanding preference, but reclining among the weary—
those with damaged passports and forgotten hopes,
children clinging to war-torn backpacks,
mothers clutching memories wrapped in scarves.

He sat between a keffiyeh and a hijab,
not as Saviour above, but as Stranger beside.
Not as One to be worshipped, just Kindness to embrace.
No throne, just a seatbelt.

And when the flight attendant passed,
He asked for nothing—
but offered everything:
a glance that said, “I see you.”
a presence that whispered, “I’m with you.”

The church, meanwhile, was waiting at the gate.
Will we recognize Him?
Will we welcome Him?
Not in stained glass, but in stained garments.
Not in hymns alone, but in human faces.

For He said:
“I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”
And now He arrives—
not cloaked in glory, but clothed in exile.

A FLIGHT SHROUDED IN MYSTERY

On November 13, 2025, a chartered Global Airways flight landed at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport, carrying 153 Palestinians from Gaza. The flight, which transited through Nairobi, arrived without prior notification or proper documentation. Passengers were detained on the tarmac for nearly 12 hours due to missing Israeli exit stamps and unclear travel plans.

The journey from Rafah to Johannesburg was a harrowing 24-hour ordeal marked by fear, confusion, and physical hardship. Many of the 153 Palestinians did not know where they were going or who was behind the evacuation.

A TRIP OF SUFFERING

The journey began in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, near the Egyptian border. Evacuees—mostly families with children, the elderly, and the injured—were gathered by intermediaries claiming to offer safe passage. Many were told not to bring luggage, and some reported not knowing their destination until well into the trip.

They were transported by bus through the Kerem Shalom crossing, a commercial transit point between Gaza and Israel, amid ongoing conflict and devastation.. This route is tightly controlled and rarely used for civilian movement. Once inside Israel, the buses traveled northwest through the Negev Desert to Ramon Airport, located near Eilat.

According to evacuee Loay Abu Saif, the journey took nearly 24 hours. He described it as a “trip of suffering”, with long waits, minimal food or water, and no clear communication. The buses were reportedly crowded and poorly ventilated, and passengers feared being turned back or detained.

• Each person paid between $1,400 and $2,000 to an organization believed to be Al-Majd, which claimed to facilitate safe passage.
• The group included children, elderly individuals, and at least one pregnant woman, all fleeing war-torn Gaza with minimal belongings.

A VOYAGE INTO THE UNKNOWN

From Ramon Airport, the group boarded a chartered Global Airways flight, which made a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya, before arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa on November 13, 2025.

• The passengers were unaware of their final destination until they landed in South Africa.
• Upon arrival, they were held on the tarmac for nearly 12 hours due to missing Israeli exit stamps and lack of travel documentation.
• Temperatures soared, and many suffered from dehydration and exhaustion during the wait.

The passengers were eventually allowed to disembark “out of compassion” after the humanitarian group Gift of the Givers stepped in to guarantee their accommodation.

Of the 153 passengers, 130 have remained in South Africa, while 23 continued to other destinations.

This journey—marked by uncertainty, exploitation, and endurance—is a stark reminder of the desperation facing Gazans and the moral responsibility of host nations. For South African Christians, it is a moment to embody the biblical call to welcome the stranger, offer sanctuary, and reflect Christ’s compassion.

A PASSAGE TO RADICAL HOSPITALITY

This unexpected arrival confronts South Africans—especially Christians—with a biblical imperative: to welcome the stranger.

From the Old Testament to the teachings of Jesus, Scripture consistently calls God’s people to love and protect the foreigner.  These verses are not abstract ideals—they are rooted in the lived experience of exile, deliverance, and divine compassion. They call us to mirror God’s heart in our treatment of the vulnerable.

Old Testament: Welcoming the Stranger as a Sacred Duty

Leviticus 19:33–34: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
This command roots hospitality in Israel’s own story of displacement and deliverance.

Deuteronomy 10:18–19: God “loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”
Compassion for the outsider is not optional—it reflects God’s own character. •

Isaiah 58:6–7: True fasting, God says, is to “share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house.”
Justice and hospitality are inseparable in God’s vision for righteousness.

New Testament: Christ Among the Displaced

Matthew 25:35: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Jesus identifies Himself with the vulnerable. Welcoming the stranger is welcoming Christ.

Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Hospitality opens us to divine encounters.

Acts 18:1–3: Paul, a tentmaker and traveler, is welcomed by Aquila and Priscilla—refugees from Rome.
The early church was a sanctuary for the displaced and persecuted.

A GOSPEL OPPORTUNITY FOR SOUTH AFRICAN CHRISTIANS

This moment is more than a political puzzle—it is a spiritual test. The arrival of these 153 Palestinians is a living parable, inviting the Church in South Africa to:

• Practice prophetic hospitality in a time of global displacement
• Resist fear-driven narratives and embrace the stranger as neighbour
• Partner with trusted organizations to offer tangible care
• Bear witness to Christ by embodying His love for the marginalized
• In a nation shaped by its own history of struggle and sanctuary, this is a kairos moment—a chance to live out the gospel in word and deed.

As Hebrews 13:2 reminds us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

“People have calculated that the cost of life… in any country… will be cheaper compared to the cost of living in Gaza”
Abu Saif, a Palestinian refugee to South Africa

https://www.news24.com/world/palestinian-who-fled-gaza-on-plane-that-landed-in-sa-says-israel-helped-facilitate-transfer-20251115-0750