News - World: South Sudan has denied holding talks with Israel over the possible resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza, calling such reports “baseless” and not representative of the government’s position.

The Associated Press reported earlier that discussions were underway between the Tel Aviv regime and Juba on a proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians from war-torn Gaza to South Sudan.

South Sudan “firmly refutes recent media reports claiming that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan is engaged in discussion with Israel regarding the resettlement of Palestinian Nationals from Gaza in South Sudan,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It said the claims are “baseless and do not reflect the official position or policy” of the South Sudanese government.

On Wednesday, Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel visited Juba to engage with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, just one day following the AP report.

The foreign ministry of Israel declined to clarify whether the topic of displacing Palestinians from Gaza was discussed, whereas Juba maintained that it “strongly denies” having any such discussions.

Two Egyptian officials were quoted as saying that they had been aware of the interactions between Israel and South Sudan for several months, and had advised Juba against consenting to receive the displaced Palestinians.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly supported the expulsion of Gaza's residents as proposed in a plan initially outlined by US President Donald Trump earlier this year.

“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,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday in an interview with the Israeli i24 news network.

Reports indicate that Israel and the United States have reached out to various countries as potential locations for Palestinians displaced from Gaza.

These countries include Libya, Indonesia, Uganda, Morocco, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, has firmly opposed any relocation of Palestinians from the region, fearing a potential influx of refugees into its territory.

At least 61,776 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and another 154,906 individuals injured in the brutal Israeli onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the health ministry of Gaza.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the besieged coastal territory.

Source: Press TV