(JUBA) – Israel is reported to be in talks with South Sudan about relocating Palestinians from Gaza to the East African country, a proposal that has drawn strong warnings from human rights groups and scepticism from South Sudanese civil society.
According to six individuals familiar with the matter, who spoke to the Associated Press (AP), the discussions are part of a broader Israeli effort to move large numbers of Palestinians out of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the policy as “voluntary migration,” a term critics argue masks forced displacement that would breach international law and could amount to ethnic cleansing.
Concerns over the proposal include fears that Palestinians removed from Gaza would never be allowed to return. Such a scenario, critics say, could pave the way for Israel to annex the enclave and re-establish Israeli settlements, as advocated by far-right members of the Israeli government.
South Sudan, which has faced persistent economic and humanitarian challenges since its independence in 2011, is already home to significant numbers of refugees from neighbouring conflicts. Years of civil war have killed almost 400,000 people, left parts of the country in famine, and strained its dependence on international aid.
Local civil society leader Edmund Yakani told AP that South Sudan “should not become a dumping ground for people” and must not accept to take in people as part of diplomatic bargaining. He stressed that communities would want to know who is coming, how many people are involved, and for how long they would stay. Yakani also warned that historical tensions with Arab and Muslim populations could create local hostility if such a relocation went ahead.
Reports suggest that Israel has made similar approaches to Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland. Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, has strongly opposed any plans to move Palestinians out of the enclave, citing fears of a refugee influx and the destabilising effects on regional security. Egyptian officials told AP they have been lobbying South Sudan not to accept the transfer.
Joe Szlavik, the founder of a US lobbying firm that works with South Sudan, said he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks and claimed that Israel might finance temporary camps if the plan were approved. He suggested the United States could also be involved, with South Sudan possibly seeking concessions such as the lifting of travel bans or the removal of sanctions against some of its elites.
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel is currently visiting Juba, marking the first official visit by an Israeli government representative to South Sudan. Haskel’s office has said her meetings with President Salva Kiir Mayardit and other senior officials are focused on cooperation in health, education, technology, agriculture, and energy, as well as humanitarian assistance. No public statement has been made linking her visit directly to the relocation talks.
Many Palestinians, while seeking temporary refuge from Gaza’s war and hunger crisis, have rejected the idea of permanent resettlement outside what they see as their homeland. Even those who might consider leaving are unlikely to see South Sudan as a safe or stable destination given its history of conflict and fragile peace agreement.
Neither Israel’s Foreign Ministry nor South Sudan’s foreign minister has commented publicly on the reported talks.
