Israel said to be in talks with war-torn South Sudan about taking in Palestinians from Gaza

Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, sources familiar with the matter say.

Six people familiar with the matter confirm the talks to The Associated Press.

It’s unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have spoken repeatedly about wanting to relocate much of Gaza’s population — which Netanyahu refers to as “voluntary migration.”

Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry declines to comment and South Sudan’s foreign minister does not respond to questions about the talks. A US State Department spokesperson says it doesn’t comment on private diplomatic conversations.

Joe Szlavik, the founder of a US lobbying firm working with South Sudan, says he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks and that an Israeli delegation plans to visit the country to look into the possibility of setting up makeshift camps for Palestinians, which Israel would likely pay for.

Edmund Yakani, who heads a South Sudanese civil society group, says he has also spoken to South Sudanese officials about the talks.

Four additional officials with knowledge of the discussions confirm talks were taking place on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Two of the officials, both from Egypt, told AP they’ve known for months about Israel’s efforts to find a country to accept Palestinians, including its contact with South Sudan. They say they’ve been lobbying South Sudan against taking the Palestinians.

While many Palestinians have rejected permanent resettlement outside of Gaza, even those who want to leave are unlikely to take their chances in South Sudan, among the world’s most unstable and conflict-ridden countries.

South Sudan has struggled to recover from a civil war that broke out after independence, and which killed nearly 400,000 people and plunged pockets of the country into famine. The oil-rich country is plagued by corruption and relies on international aid to help feed its 11 million people – a challenge that has only grown since the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to foreign assistance.

A peace deal reached seven years ago has been fragile and incomplete, and the threat of war returned when the main opposition leader was placed under house arrest this year.

“South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people,” says Yakani. “And it should not accept to take people as negotiating chips to improve relations.”