Israeli Group Secretly Coordinated Gaza Evacuation Flights, AP Investigation Reveals
An extensive Associated Press investigation has uncovered that an Israeli organization, whose founder strongly endorsed former U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, has been discreetly coordinating multiple flights that evacuated hundreds of people from the war-torn enclave. The flights, which transported Palestinians to South Africa and Indonesia, have raised significant questions about the underlying motives behind these evacuation efforts.
Mystery Flights Land in South Africa and Indonesia
The first indication of these covert operations emerged in November when a plane carrying approximately 150 Palestinians from Gaza unexpectedly landed in South Africa, surprising everyone on the ground. This was not an isolated incident. Since May, at least three flights filled with Gaza residents who had registered to leave the devastated territory have arrived in Indonesia and South Africa.
South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola immediately condemned the flights, describing them as part of a "clear agenda to cleanse out the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank." The AP investigation, based on contracts, passenger lists, text messages, financial statements, and interviews with more than two dozen Israelis, Palestinians, and other individuals involved with the trips, revealed that Ad Kan, an Israeli organization founded by soldiers and former intelligence officers, orchestrated these evacuations through another company to obscure its Israeli connections.
Ad Kan's Covert Operations and Controversial Agenda
Ad Kan, which translates to "enough is enough" in Hebrew, has a history of covertly infiltrating groups to expose what they claim are antisemitic or anti-Israel activities. The organization's founder, Gilad Ach, is a West Bank settler activist and Israeli combat reservist who was a staunch supporter of Trump's proposal last year to transfer 2 million Palestinians out of Gaza. Following Trump's suggestion, Ach published a detailed report outlining how he would implement a "voluntary exit" program, proposing that Israel complete Palestinian emigration from Gaza within six to eight months while coordinating with the U.S. to enlist receiving countries.
Ach's document asserted that the migration of all Palestinians was "entirely feasible," that they desired to leave, and that emptying Gaza of its Palestinian population served Israeli interests. Although Trump later abandoned his plan amid widespread international condemnation and accusations of potential "ethnic cleansing" from Palestinians, rights groups, and even the U.N. secretary-general, far-right Israeli groups, including members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition, continue to advocate for removing Gaza's Palestinians to potentially resettle the area.
Humanitarian Front or Political Agenda?
The evacuations were organized through a company called Al-Majd, which presents itself on its website as a humanitarian organization "supporting Palestinian lives" and providing aid for Muslim communities in conflict zones. However, the connection to Ad Kan suggests a potentially different agenda. Ach declined to be interviewed for this story but stated in a text message to AP that he was proud to lead organizations supporting the rights of Palestinians in Gaza who wish to leave for safer regions, free from Hamas. He denied South Africa's allegations of ethnic cleansing, insisting the flights were purely humanitarian and that those who left had sought assistance, with some covering part of the costs themselves.
Ach highlighted what he called "profound hypocrisy," noting that many countries are unwilling to accept Palestinian refugees. "Their continued presence in Gaza, under dire conditions, serves as a tool to pressure Israel internationally and allows Hamas to maintain its rule over this suffering population," he argued. Ach did not respond to questions about using Al-Majd to distance links to Israel.
Passenger Experiences and Operational Details
AP spoke with six Palestinians who left Gaza via these flights, all of whom requested anonymity due to fears of potential punishment. They described a desperate situation in Gaza, with one 37-year-old who arrived in South Africa in November stating, "There was famine, and we had no options. My children were almost killed. Death and destruction was everywhere, all day, for two years, and nobody came to the rescue."
Most passengers said they were unaware of who was behind the trips but were primarily concerned with escaping the devastation. They reported learning about the evacuation option through online ads, social media, or referrals to Al-Majd's website. The process involved paying up to $2,000 per person via bank or cryptocurrency transfers, with destinations including South Africa, Indonesia, or Malaysia, though passengers could not choose their destination. When flights were ready, they received messages directing them to a meeting point, from where they were bused out of Gaza to Israel, searched, and allowed to bring limited belongings onto the planes.
American-Israeli businessman Moti Kahana, who has experience evacuating people from conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Syria, signed a contract in August to organize a flight for Ad Kan. The contract stipulated a minimum payment of $750,000 for "flight rescue services." Kahana revealed that Ach's team provided him with a spreadsheet listing individuals who had paid for the flights, including at least 13 people whose families confirmed they registered through Al-Majd and flew to South Africa. Kahana noted that Ad Kan used Al-Majd to present an "Arab face" and conceal Israeli involvement, describing it as "the same people, the same company, different names."
Government Involvement and Future Implications
It remains unclear whether Ad Kan was directly collaborating with Israel's government, though Palestinians require Israeli permission to leave Gaza. Israel's Defense Ministry runs the Voluntary Emigration Bureau, established early last year, and with U.S. awareness, Israel's government has approached several governments, including Somaliland, South Sudan, and Sudan, to facilitate emigration from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office and COGAT, the defense body that facilitates Palestinian departures from Gaza, declined to comment on the flights. COGAT has previously stated it allows departures for Palestinians from Gaza through Israel if they possess visas for destination countries. Neither Netanyahu's office, COGAT, nor Ach would address whether Palestinians who fled would be permitted to return, a significant concern given Israel's decades-long track record of making it difficult for Palestinians to return to Gaza.
Critics argue that such emigration from Gaza cannot be considered voluntary after the war has rendered much of the strip uninhabitable. Rights groups emphasize that people must be allowed to return, warning against permanent displacement. Following the second South Africa-bound flight in November, the South African government revoked its 90-day visa exemptions for Palestinian passport holders, citing "deliberate and ongoing abuse" by Israelis linked to emigration efforts.
As families who fled to South Africa told AP, while they were unaware of Israeli involvement behind the flights, their primary concern was survival. One Palestinian who used Al-Majd to send his wife and son to South Africa stated, "I agreed to the flight, and I didn't know the destination. All I cared about was getting my family out of Gaza and saving them." The AP investigation underscores the complex interplay between humanitarian assistance and political agendas in one of the world's most protracted conflicts.
