South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said Monday that the arrival in Johannesburg last week of a plane carrying Palestinian refugees was a “clearly orchestrated operation” to displace Palestinians, Anadolu reported Tuesday.

The flight appeared to be part of a “broader agenda” to relocate Palestinians from Palestine to multiple countries, Lamola told reporters at a news conference.

“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,” he said.

He said the government was “suspicious” of the circumstances surrounding the plane’s arrival, and the “issue of concern” was under investigation.

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

Lamola said the information currently available indicates the passengers did not have the required permits, but the matter is under investigation, and authorities will determine the full facts, with a comprehensive outcome expected.

Last Thursday, South Africa granted a 90-day visa exemption for 153 Palestinians who arrived from Kenya to seek asylum in the country, although they were initially denied entry due to a lack of travel documents and customary departure stamps in their passports.

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, an association run by a man holding dual Israeli-Estonian citizenship sells Palestinians in Gaza seats on chartered flights heading to far-off countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Africa for around $2,000.

Israel had previously discussed with several countries, including South Sudan, the possibility of relocating Palestinians there.