Netanyahu looks to resettle Palestinians in South Sudan

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly in talks with South Sudan about resettling Palestinians from Gaza amid the ongoing offensive on the embattled strip.

- ALISHA RAHAMAN SARKAR

Mr Netanyahu has previously said he wants to realise US president Donald Trump's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population through what the Israeli leader refers to as “voluntary migration”.

It is not clear how far the talks have progressed, but the plan, if successful, would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged region to another.

Palestinians and human rights groups have largely rejected the proposal of Israel to remove the people of Gaza from their homeland in violation of international law. Israel has reportedly floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations, including Somalia, Egypt, and even Indonesia in southeast Asia.

“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,” Mr Netanyahu told Israeli broadcaster i24.

For South Sudan, such a deal could help it build closer ties to Israel. It is also a potential inroad to Mr Trump, who broached the idea of resettling Gaza’s population in February but appears to have backed away in recent months.