Israel in talks with South Sudan on possible resettlement of Gazans

Israel has engaged in discussions with South Sudan over the potential resettlement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the conflict-ridden East African nation, according to six individuals familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press. The talks form part of Israel’s broader strategy to encourage large-scale emigration from Gaza, devastated by nearly two years of war.

While the extent of the negotiations remains unclear, any such plan would involve transferring civilians from one war-torn region, where famine risks loom, to another mired in instability and violence. The prospect has already sparked alarm among Palestinians, human rights groups, and much of the international community, who view it as a blueprint for forced displacement – a violation of international law.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly voiced support for what he describes as “voluntary migration” from Gaza. In an interview Tuesday with Israel’s i24 News, Netanyahu argued that allowing the civilian population to leave would pave the way for the military to operate “with all your might against the enemy who remains there.” He did not specifically mention South Sudan in that interview.

The relocation idea echoes a vision previously floated by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who in February suggested resettling much of Gaza’s population abroad. Although Trump appears to have stepped back from the proposal in recent months, Netanyahu has said he intends to advance it, framing it as a legitimate wartime measure.

Israel has reportedly explored similar arrangements with other African countries in recent months, though no agreements have been finalized. For South Sudan, still grappling with the aftermath of its own civil war, such a deal could serve to strengthen diplomatic ties with Israel and potentially provide a diplomatic bridge to Trump.

Neither Israel’s Foreign Ministry nor South Sudan’s Foreign Minister responded to requests for comment on the reported talks. The U.S. State Department declined to address the matter directly, citing a policy of not commenting on private diplomatic discussions.

Critics warn that implementing such a plan could deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and set a precedent for displacement under conflict conditions. “This is not voluntary migration; it is coercion under the barrel of a gun,” one Palestinian rights advocate told AP, reflecting widespread fears that the proposal is less about humanitarian relief and more about demographic engineering.

With Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins after 22 months of war against Hamas, and South Sudan facing its own humanitarian emergencies, the proposed relocation faces formidable political, legal, and ethical hurdles, even before any formal agreement emerges.