South Sudan has rejected claims that it has engaged in discussions with the Israeli occupation regarding the potential resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza, calling such reports “baseless” and contrary to the country’s official position.

The denial came after the Associated Press reported that talks were underway between the Tel Aviv regime and Juba on a proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians from the war-battered territory to South Sudan.

In a statement, the South Sudanese foreign ministry said it “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 ministry stressed that the claims “do not reflect the official position or policy” of Juba.

Existing contact between 'Israel', South Sudan

The statement followed a visit by Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel to Juba on Wednesday, where she met with President Salva Kiir just a day after the AP report. While the Israeli foreign ministry declined to confirm whether the displacement of Palestinians was discussed, Juba maintained it had “strongly denied” holding such talks.

Two Egyptian officials told AP they had been aware of contacts between the Israeli regime and South Sudan for several months and had advised Juba against agreeing to host Palestinians displaced from Gaza.

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Reports indicate that the Israeli occupation and the United States have approached multiple countries, including Libya, Indonesia, Uganda, Morocco, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and the breakaway region of Somaliland, as possible destinations for Palestinians expelled from Gaza.

Egypt, which borders the enclave, has repeatedly rejected any relocation proposals, warning of a potential refugee influx into its territory.

Since October 7, 2023, at least 61,776 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, and 154,906 others injured in the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The Israeli regime also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the besieged coastal strip.

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Following a 10-hour overnight meeting on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that his security cabinet had approved a plan to seize control of Gaza City, further escalating "Israel’s" war on Gaza, which has already claimed the lives of at least 61,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians.

"Israel’s" Channel 12 reported that the plan, involving the deployment of ground troops into the territory, could displace tens of thousands of people, worsen the already strained aid delivery efforts, and push around 1 million Palestinians in Gaza City and surrounding areas toward evacuation zones in the southern part of the strip.