Israel engages with South Sudan in talks to relocate Palestinians

Israel is advancing its long-standing plan to forcibly displace Palestinians, holding talks with South Sudan for relocation arrangements, according to Middle East Eye via the Associated Press (AP) on August 13th.

On August 12th, AP reported that Israeli representatives had arrived in South Sudan for an inaugural official visit, where discussions included the possible transfer of Palestinians to the country. The extent of progress in these talks remains unclear.

Joe Szlavik, an American lobbyist working with South Sudan, told AP he had received confirmation from South Sudanese authorities that an Israeli delegation was considering establishing camps for Palestinians.

Sharren Haskel, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, arrived in South Sudan on August 12th for meetings with the country’s president, foreign minister, and other senior officials, marking the first-ever official Israeli visit to the nation.

“While the international community is focused solely on Gaza, South Sudan is facing a real humanitarian crisis and the threat of genuine famine that is claiming the lives of many refugees from the war in Sudan,” Haskel said. “All hunger experts in the international community and in the media [should] come here and see with their own eyes what happens when there is a real famine.”

It is unclear whether Haskel’s trip is the same delegation referenced by Szlavik. Israel Hayom reported on August 13th that the visit had been planned earlier and was unrelated to recent reports about displaced Palestinians from Gaza.

On July 29th, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted his South Sudanese counterpart in Jerusalem.

The outreach to South Sudan appears linked to Israel’s broader efforts to secure third countries for the removal of Gaza’s population, echoing US President Donald Trump’s February 2025 proposal to “take over” Gaza, relocate Palestinians abroad, and turn the enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Following Trump’s statement, Israel established a new government body to oversee so-called “voluntary departures” in line with this proposal.

“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,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli channel i24 on August 12th, without mentioning South Sudan. Experts in genocide and international law told Middle East Eye in July that Israeli references to “voluntary emigration” amount to forced displacement.

Additionally, Egyptian officials told AP they had been aware for months of Israel’s attempts to enlist South Sudan and other states for this relocation plan.

AP on march 14th reported that the US and Israel had also approached Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland regarding the scheme.

South Sudan, which is in the grip of a devastating civil war since 2011 that has killed over 400,000 people, remains under multiple US sanctions. It is not yet clear whether potential agreements with Israel are tied to any sanctions relief.

Middle East Eye, The Associated Press, Maghrebi.org, Haaretz, The Times of Israel, Israel Hayom, X