No US Deal to Relocate Palestinians from Gaza to South Sudan, Says Government

The Government of South Sudan has dismissed reports that it is in talks to accept Palestinians from Gaza, insisting that no such agreement exists with either Israel or the United States.

Speaking to journalists in Juba on Thursday, officials said the country has not entered into any arrangement to host displaced Gazans or to take in third-nation deportees under a deal with Washington.

The clarification comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his government was exploring the possibility of facilitating the voluntary emigration of Palestinians from Gaza to other countries. Netanyahu suggested that discussions were ongoing with several potential host nations.

Speculation intensified when reports linked South Sudan to the plan, following a visit in August by Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, described at the time as the highest-level engagement between Israel and South Sudan since the latter’s independence.

However, South Sudanese officials stressed that the visit focused on bilateral relations, including cooperation in agriculture, energy, and security, and had no connection to any refugee resettlement deal.

The government’s position aligns with concerns raised across Africa and the Middle East that resettling Gazans abroad could undermine their right to return and alter the dynamics of the Palestinian cause.

South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, is already grappling with internal displacement from years of conflict, humanitarian crises, and resource constraints. Analysts note that the country is in no position to absorb a new refugee population.

The United States has also not confirmed any deal with Juba regarding third-country resettlements of Palestinians or other deportees.

By distancing itself from the reports, South Sudan joins a growing list of nations publicly rejecting involvement in Israel’s proposed Gaza relocation scheme.