Israel discusses Gaza population resettlement with South Sudan & 4 other countries

Israel is considering the possibility of transferring displaced Gaza citizens to five host countries, including South Sudan, Indonesia, Libya, Ethiopia, and another African country, the Associated Press (AP) and Israeli outlets reported on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel began the first official Israeli visit to South Sudan, however, a statement from her office highlighted the country’s challenges with war and the “threat of genuine famine” rather than referring to discussions of the Gaza issue.

Haskel’s visit followed last week’s visit by South Sudan’s deputy foreign minister to Israel. The AP cited six sources that confirmed the talks with South Sudan were taking place, but couldn’t provide details about their progress.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has endorsed the vision of U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate large portions of Gaza’s population, but Israel has not taken substantive steps in that direction until now.

The start of the possible large-scale operation to take over the rest of the Gaza Strip, which is expected to displace up to half of the enclave’s population, may become the catalyst to realize the idea.

Palestinian representatives, international rights groups and regional actors have stridently rejected the relocation of the population from the Gaza Strip. Two Egyptian officials told AP that they have been pressuring South Sudan not to accept refugees from Gaza

The U.S. and Israel have reportedly held similar discussions with several other countries, but so far without achieving concrete results.

Joe Szlavik, an American lobbyist, confirmed that talks are taking place and said an Israeli delegation could soon visit South Sudan to examine the possibility of Israel setting up refugee camps for Gazans there, according to the AP.

Szlavik added that the U.S. is aware of the discussions and is not currently directly involved.

However, the idea could run into internal opposition within South Sudan. Edmund Yakani, leader of a civil rights group, told AP that the Christian country – which split from the majority-Muslim northern Sudan – would need precise details on who would be arriving and for how long.

There could be hostilities due to the “historical issues with Muslims and Arabs,” Yakani warned.

“South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people,” he said. “And it should not accept taking people as negotiating chips to improve relations.”

Haskel’s office said she is set to meet South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the foreign minister, speaker of the parliament and other senior government officials during her visit.

“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 stated.

She called on “all hunger experts in the international community and in the media to come here and see with their own eyes what happens when there is a real famine.”

Haskel's meetings will focus on “deepening cooperation in the fields of health, education, technology, agriculture, and energy; advancing joint initiatives in civil and security development; strengthening regional cooperation; and exploring options for Israeli humanitarian aid in light of the challenges the country faces due to the war in neighboring Sudan.”

“I am proud of the Israeli initiatives helping this young nation in health, agriculture, energy, and food. I thank the government of South Sudan for its support of Israel,” Haskel added.