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According to three anonymous sources, no agreement has been reached yet, but discussions are underway, Reuters reported
Palestinian children carry jerrycans after collecting water from a distribution point in Gaza City. (AP photo)
Israel and South Sudan are reportedly in early talks regarding the possible relocation of Palestinians from war‑ravaged Gaza to South Sudan, Reuters reported on Friday.
According to three anonymous sources, no agreement has been reached yet, but discussions are underway.
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The sources, who spoke anonymously, said the plan involves moving people from Gaza, which has been devastated by nearly two years of conflict with Israel, to South Sudan, a country long plagued by political and ethnic violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently indicated his intention to extend military control over Gaza. This week, he also suggested that Palestinians should consider leaving the territory voluntarily.
The idea of relocating Gaza’s population has been strongly rejected by Palestinian leaders and many world figures. Palestinians view such a move as another “Nakba” (catastrophe), similar to the mass displacement during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
The relocation proposal was reportedly raised during talks between Israeli officials and South Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Monday Semaya Kumba, who visited Israel last month. However, South Sudan’s foreign ministry dismissed the reports as “baseless” earlier this week.
The Associated Press first reported the discussions on Tuesday, citing six people with knowledge of the talks.
Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, said the Palestinian leadership and people “reject any plan or idea to displace any of our people to South Sudan or to any other place.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office released a similar statement on Thursday. Hamas, the group currently fighting Israel in Gaza, has not responded to requests for comment.
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who recently visited South Sudan’s capital Juba, told Reuters that relocation was not the focus of discussions. She said talks centred on foreign policy, multilateral organisations, the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, and the ongoing war.
Netanyahu, who met with Kumba last month, has said Israel is in contact with several countries to find a place for Palestinians wishing to leave Gaza but has provided no further details.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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