South Sudan and Israel are in talks over a potential deal to resettle Gazans in the African nation, despite denials by South Sudanese officials, three sources familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency on Friday.
The sources, who spoke anonymously, stated that no agreement has been reached yet, but discussions between South Sudan and Israel are ongoing.
The three sources indicated that the resettlement plan was discussed during meetings between Israeli officials and South Sudanese Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba, who visited Israel last month.
The discussions were first reported by the Associated Press on Tuesday, citing six individuals with knowledge of the talks.
South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed the AP report of the plan as “baseless”. The ministry has not responded to the sources’ claims as of Friday.
On Thursday, The Telegraph reported that South Sudan has agreed to receive Gaza Arab civilians under a resettlement plan quietly brokered with Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.
Palestinian Authority official Wasel Abu Youssef rejected any resettlement plans, saying, “We reject any plan or idea to displace any of our people to South Sudan or to any other place.”
This statement mirrored one from Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s office.
(Israel National News’ North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
