A humanitarian crisis is unfolding at OR Tambo International Airport where more than 150 Palestinian refugees reportedly seeking asylum in South Africa have been denied entry and left stranded on an aircraft.

The refugees, who arrived from Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday morning, were denied entry due to missing exit stamps in their passports – a move that humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers claims was deliberately orchestrated by Israeli authorities to compound their plight.

According to Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, the group landed at the airport but were prohibited from disembarking the aircraft.

On Thursday evening, they were still on the plane.

Global Airways, which flew the group in from Nairobi, confirmed the passengers were denied entry, stating that it had followed all the requirements under South African and international immigration laws before flying the group in.

“At no point prior to landing at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport at 07:50 today was Global Airways informed that the passengers would be deemed inadmissible.”