For months, Israeli officials have spoken of Palestinians leaving Gaza in large numbers. Now, discussions have emerged over a potential destination: South Sudan, one of Africa’s poorest and most conflict-stricken states.
According to officials and individuals briefed on the matter, Israel has held talks with South Sudan about receiving refugees from Gaza. The move forms part of a wider Israeli strategy of promoting large-scale emigration from the enclave, devastated by nearly two years of war with Hamas.
Critics warn that permanently displacing Gazans would amount to ethnic cleansing and a war crime. They note that some Israeli leaders have openly spoken of settling Jews in Gaza, questioning whether Israel’s intention is resettlement or outright expulsion.
Israeli officials have described the policy as “voluntary migration,” presenting it as a humanitarian option for Palestinians who wish to leave. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel was not “pushing out” Gazans but declined to confirm whether they would be allowed to return after the conflict.
South Sudan has publicly denied any involvement, but senior officials in Juba have privately explored the idea with Israeli counterparts, according to three Middle Eastern officials, a South Sudanese official and a lobbyist linked to the South Sudanese government. The talks have yet to yield any breakthrough but reflect mutual interests: Israel wants as many Palestinians as possible to leave, while South Sudan is seeking closer ties with President Trump.
In February, Trump voiced support for the removal of Gaza’s two million residents, though he later appeared to step back following opposition from Arab allies, particularly Egypt and Jordan. He has never formally withdrawn the idea.
Israeli PM adopts cautious public stance
While Mr Netanyahu has adopted a cautious public stance, members of his far-right coalition have openly embraced the prospect of mass displacement. Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said in May that Gazans should be moved “to third countries,” adding last month that Gaza was “an inseparable part of the land of Israel.”
Gila Gamliel, a member of the security cabinet, declared in a televised interview that “1.7 million Palestinians should leave the Gaza Strip.” Amichay Eliyahu, a junior minister, said Israel was “driving out the population,” though the prime minister’s office distanced itself from his remarks.
Unlike in many modern conflicts, where millions have fled across borders, most Gazans have no route out. Egypt, which admitted tens of thousands during the first nine months of the war, has largely shut its doors. Other countries remain focused on small-scale evacuations of the sick and injured, leaving the vast majority trapped inside the enclave.
