The arrival in South Africa of 153 Palestinians on a plane last week was “suspicious” and indicated “a clear agenda to cleanse Palestinians out of Gaza and the West Bank,” the foreign minister said on Monday.

The group landed in Johannesburg on a chartered flight on Thursday without departure stamps from Israel on their passports.

“We are suspicious as the South African government about the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the plane,” Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told reporters. (AFP)