AP Investigation Uncovers Israeli Group's Role in Gaza Evacuation Flights
An extensive Associated Press investigation has revealed that an Israeli organization, whose founder strongly endorsed former U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, has been discreetly organizing evacuation flights that have transported hundreds of people from the war-torn enclave.
Mystery Flights to South Africa and Indonesia
The investigation found that since May, at least three flights carrying Gaza residents have landed in South Africa and Indonesia. The first plane, which arrived in South Africa in November carrying approximately 150 Palestinians, surprised authorities on the ground. Another flight in May transported nearly 60 Palestinians from Israel via Hungary to Indonesia, while an October flight took about 170 people from Israel to South Africa through Kenya.
"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, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fears of possible punishment.
The Israeli Organization Behind the Operations
The flights were organized by Ad Kan, an Israeli group founded by soldiers and former intelligence officers that has historically worked covertly to infiltrate organizations it considers antisemitic or anti-Israel. According to documents including contracts, passenger lists, text messages, financial statements, and interviews with more than two dozen individuals involved, Ad Kan operated through another company called Al-Majd to distance itself from Israel.
Al-Majd 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 and its founder Gilad Ach suggests potentially different motivations behind the evacuation efforts.
Political Context and Controversy
Gilad Ach, an Israeli combat reservist who founded Ad Kan, published a detailed report last year outlining how he would implement Trump's "voluntary exit" proposal to transfer 2 million Palestinians out of Gaza. After the war began in 2023, Ach established another group called The Israeli Reservists Generation of Victory, which circulated advertisements on Israeli buses featuring Trump's portrait alongside Hebrew text stating: "Victory = Voluntary migration ... This bus could be full of Gazans. Listen to Trump, let them out!"
South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola condemned the flights, calling them part of "a clear agenda to cleanse out the Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank." Ach denied these allegations in a text message to AP, asserting that the flights were purely humanitarian and that those who left had actively sought assistance.
How the Evacuation System Operated
According to six Palestinians who spoke with AP after leaving Gaza via these flights, they became aware of the evacuation option through online advertisements, social media posts, or referrals from friends directing them to Al-Majd's website. Passengers paid up to $2,000 per person through bank and cryptocurrency transfers, with the website indicating destinations of South Africa, Indonesia, or Malaysia but not offering a choice among them.
American-Israeli businessman Moti Kahana, who has experience evacuating people from conflict zones, 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 containing names of people who had paid for flights, including at least 13 individuals whose families confirmed they registered through Al-Majd and flew to South Africa.
"It's the same people, the same company, different names," Kahana explained. "They have a group of Arab-speaking people that answer the phone, and they don't want to show Israel involvement; they have like an Arab face to it."
Questions About Voluntariness and Return Rights
Critics argue that emigration from Gaza cannot be considered truly voluntary after more than two years of devastating war that has left much of the territory uninhabitable. Human rights organizations emphasize that people must be allowed to return to their homes, noting Israel's decades-long history of making it difficult for Palestinians to return to Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office and COGAT, the defense body facilitating Palestinian departures from Gaza, declined to comment on the flights. Neither Netanyahu's office, COGAT, nor Ach would address AP's questions regarding whether Palestinians who fled would be permitted to return.
Families who reached South Africa told AP they were unaware of Israeli involvement in organizing the flights but ultimately considered it irrelevant to their decision. "All I cared about was getting my family out of Gaza and saving them," said a Palestinian who used Al-Majd to send his wife and son to South Africa.
The AP investigation raises significant questions about the intersection of humanitarian evacuation efforts, political agendas, and the complex realities facing Palestinians seeking to escape Gaza's devastation.
