THE arrival of a plane in South Africa with more than 150 Palestinians on board was condemned by the country’s foreign minister on Monday as being part of a “broader agenda” to clear out Gaza and the West Bank through a network of chartered flights.

Ronald Lamola did not say who South Africa believed had organised the chartered plane that arrived in Johannesburg on Thursday with 153 Palestinians.

But his comments were seen by many as accusing Israel of being behind a campaign to remove people from the Palestinian territories and send them to other countries.

Mr Lamola said: “Indeed, we are suspicious as the South African government about the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the plane and the passengers that were in the plane.

“It does look like it represents a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine into many different parts of the world and it’s a clearly orchestrated operation because they are not only being sent to South Africa. There are other countries where such flights have been sent.”

The Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories said the Palestinians on the chartered plane to South Africa left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave.

The Israelis have declined to name the third country it alleges was involved.

The move to empty Gaza of its more than two million Palestinians, first put forward by United States President Donald Trump, has been slammed by many governments and rights groups as amounting to ethnic cleansing and therefore a crime against humanity.

Mr Lamola insisted: “We do not want any further flights to come our way because this is a clear agenda to cleanse the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank.”