‘We paid to leave Gaza’, says Palestinian evacuee

A young Palestinian mother who paid to get out of Gaza said that Muslim and Jewish people have been helping them since she, her husband, and her young son landed in Johannesburg on 28 October. 

Amal Abu Suleima, 27, said her family had received assistance from people of different backgrounds since arriving in South Africa. “Some Jewish people have been very kind. They helped me with information and support,” she said. “I’m grateful for every person who has helped us.” 

She told the SA Jewish Report this week, “We paid $2 500 [R42 975] each to leave Gaza.” 

Abu Suleima is believed to be among the first group of Palestinians to have recently arrived in South Africa on what are believed to be humanitarian flights. (See story on this page) 

She said the total cost for her family was $7 500 (R128 926), and that the amount was described to her as covering visa and travel-related fees. “That’s what they told us. We understood it was for all the fees needed for the journey,” she said. 

She said she found a website offering evacuation opportunities, and chose to register after losing her home, her business, and any sense of safety during the escalation of fighting in Gaza. “I lost everything. There was nothing left to protect my son,” she said. 

Abu Suleima said she didn’t know who organised her family’s evacuation. “I honestly don’t know who they are. The people who guided us were very kind, but I don’t know their names or who they represent.” She said she was instructed to travel to the Kerem Shalom crossing, also known as Kerem Abu Salem, and from there was directed towards the aircraft that flew to South Africa. 

She said the journey out of Gaza was emotional. “I was excited because I want a better future for my son, Kenan,” she said. The process was orderly, and she felt hopeful during the flight. “We were tired but calm. Everyone was focused on their children,” she said. She said she and the other passengers knew before departure that South Africa was the final destination. “They told us clearly that we were going to South Africa.” 

On arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, Abu Suleima said she was treated politely. “The people at the airport were kind and respectful,” she said. The group was then taken to a hotel arranged for one week by a group she referred to as Al-Majd. “They put us in a hotel for one week. After that we had to take care of ourselves.” 

She said she and her family are now renting a small place in Johannesburg. “We found a small home. We pay the rent ourselves,” she said. She hopes to find employment teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, the work she did before the war, pointing out, “I need a job to support my family.”  

Abu Suleima said a local Islamic organisation had taken up her case and was assisting them to apply for residency and humanitarian asylum. She said she didn’t know the organisation’s formal name. “They are helping us, but I do not know their official name.” 

She said she left Gaza voluntarily. “No one forced me. I chose to leave because I wanted safety for my son.” She doesn’t expect to return, saying, “There’s no life left for us there.” 

Before the war, Abu Suleima said she lived a quiet family life in Gaza. “I had a home, my small business teaching Arabic, and dreams for my son’s future,” she said. The destruction of her neighbourhood and loss of her work led her to look for ways to leave. “I registered on the website because I saw no other option to protect my family.” 

Her understanding was that the payment she made covered the entire cost of travel and visa-related arrangements. “That’s what they explained to us. We believed it was everything required,” she said. She didn’t receive documentation identifying the organisers aside from the online registration and later phone call notifying her that an evacuation had been approved. 

She said passengers on the flight were focused on the prospect of reaching safety. “People were quiet. Many were thinking about their families and about starting again,” she said. She held her son throughout the flight. “I just wanted him to feel safe.” 

Abu Suleima said her family was now beginning the process of adjusting to life in Johannesburg, and “people here have welcomed us with kindness”. She said she hoped her son would soon be able to start school once their applications had been processed. “I want him to grow up in safety.” 

Her focus is on establishing stability for her family. “I want a peaceful life for my son. That’s all I want,” she said.