Daijiworld Media Network- Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Aug 13: Israel is holding discussions with war-torn South Sudan over the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, as part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push for what he calls “voluntary migration” from the territory devastated by the nearly two-year-old war with Hamas.

Six individuals familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to the Associated Press, though the extent of progress remains unclear. If implemented, the move would transfer people from a region ravaged by conflict and famine to another plagued by instability, raising serious human rights concerns.

Netanyahu, in an interview with Israeli media, reiterated his belief that allowing Gaza’s population to leave would enable Israel to fight Hamas more forcefully. While he did not mention South Sudan specifically, sources say Israel has also explored similar arrangements with other African nations. Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have condemned the proposals, calling them a blueprint for forced expulsion in violation of international law.

For South Sudan, such a deal could deepen ties with Israel and potentially win favor with U.S. President Donald Trump, who had floated the resettlement idea earlier this year. The impoverished East African nation is reportedly eyeing diplomatic gains, including the lifting of U.S. sanctions and a travel ban on some of its officials.

U.S.-based lobbyist Joe Szlavik, who works with South Sudan, said an Israeli delegation is expected to visit the country to explore the possibility of setting up makeshift camps for Palestinians, with Israel likely to foot the bill. No date has been set for the visit.

However, Egyptian officials say they have been lobbying South Sudan to reject the plan, fearing it could encourage the permanent displacement of Palestinians and alter the regional balance. Egypt remains firmly opposed to any transfer of Gaza’s population, wary of refugee flows towards its own borders.

South Sudan — still struggling to recover from a civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and left pockets of the country in famine — faces its own challenges, including political instability, corruption, and deep ethnic divisions. Civil society leaders have warned that historical tensions between South Sudan’s mostly Christian and animist communities and Arab Muslims could fuel hostility towards Palestinian arrivals.

“South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people,” said Edmund Yakani, a prominent local activist. “Nor should it accept people as bargaining chips to improve political relations.”

Many Palestinians fear that leaving Gaza, even temporarily, would mean losing their right to return, paving the way for Israel to annex the territory and re-establish Jewish settlements there — a goal openly supported by some far-right members of Netanyahu’s government.