South Sudan has denied claims that it is in talks with Israel about hosting Palestinians from Gaza, rejecting reports that surfaced this week alleging discussions around a controversial resettlement scheme.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the reports were “baseless and do not reflect the official position or policy of the government of the Republic of South Sudan.” It urged media outlets to verify information through official channels before publication.
The denial comes in response to an AP report stating that Israel had held talks with South Sudan as part of a broader plan to permanently relocate Palestinians from Gaza — a plan Israel has publicly floated in recent months and which has drawn sharp rejection from Arab and Western governments, including Egypt and Jordan.
Six unnamed sources cited by AP confirmed the discussions but noted their status remains unclear.
The report warned that if enacted, the plan would involve relocating people from one war-ravaged country to another facing hunger and instability, raising serious human rights concerns.
South Sudan has faced significant challenges since its independence in 2011, including a civil war that resulted in nearly 400,000 deaths. The conflict also led to widespread famine in some areas. In addition to its own internal struggles, the country is currently hosting a large number of refugees from conflicts in neighboring nations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long advocated for what he describes as the “voluntary migration” of Gazans. In a recent interview with Israel’s i24 News, he said, “I think that the right thing to do, even according to the laws of war as I know them, is to allow the population to leave, and then you go in with all your might against the enemy who remains there.” He did not make mention of South Sudan.
Palestinians, human rights groups and much of the international community have repeatedly rejected such proposals as forced displacement in violation of international law.
Joe Szlavik, founder of a US lobbying firm working with South Sudan, told AP he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks. He said an Israeli delegation planned to visit the country to discuss setting up camps for Palestinians, though no date had been set.
The discussions were corroborated by multiple sources in South Sudan. Edmund Yakani, head of a South Sudanese civil society group, confirmed he had spoken to officials on the matter, while four other South Sudanese officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly, also confirmed the talks.
Two Egyptian officials, also speaking anonymously to AP, said they had been aware for months of Israel’s attempts to find a host country for Palestinians, including its contacts with South Sudan. They added that Cairo has been pressuring South Sudan not to accept the plan.
Meanwhile, deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who was visiting Juba on Wednesday, told reporters that the issue was not on her agenda and that there has been “no conversation between our ministry and officials in the government of South Sudan.” While Haskel acknowledged broader efforts to find countries willing to accept Palestinians who want to leave Gaza, she insisted South Sudan was not part of any such discussions.
In March, Israel’s security cabinet approved a military proposal to establish an administration to facilitate the voluntary emigration of Palestinians in Gaza expressing interest in moving to third countries, in line with Trump’s vision. Defence Minister Israel Katz said at the time, “We will allow any Gaza resident who wants to move to a third state to do so.”
Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, strongly opposes any relocation plan. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi recently reiterated his condemnation of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and the failure of countries to provide relief, saying history would judge many nations for their stance on the war. He vowed that Egypt would never be a gateway for the displacement of Palestinians.
The US embassy in Tripoli has previously denied an NBC News report quoting unnamed officials who claimed the Trump administration had sought to permanently relocate about one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya. Prior to the denial, Libyan lawmakers and political figures had already rejected the plan.
The search for host countries has extended further into the African continent. In March, Israeli media reported that Somaliland would be open to hosting people from Gaza if recognized as a state, and that US officials had contacted governments in East Africa to explore other resettlement options.
