Israel Talks with South Sudan About Moving Palestinians from Gaza
TEL AVIV, Israel – August 13, 2025:Israel is talking with South Sudan about maybe moving Palestinians from Gaza there. This is part of a bigger plan to get people to leave Gaza on their own. Six people who know about this told The Associated Press this was happening. This has made people around the world worried, and human rights groups are not happy. This is a new, controversial way for Israel to handle what happens in Gaza after the fighting, which has been really bad for 22 months.
Looking at Letting People Leave
Sources say these talks are because Israel is trying to find countries that will take Palestinians from Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants voluntary migration, something he said was an idea that U.S. President Donald Trump had. In an interview with Israeli TV, Netanyahu said it’s right to let people leave so Israel can go all out against the enemy.
Netanyahu didn’t mention South Sudan, but these talks mean Israel is trying to do this. The AP said before that there were talks with other African countries like Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland. It’s not clear what happened with those talks.
People don’t like this idea, including human rights groups and other countries. They say it’s like forcing people out and goes against the law. They worry that Palestinians who leave won’t be allowed back, so Israel can take Gaza and build settlements again, which some Israeli ministers want.
What South Sudan Might Want
South Sudan is not a place you’d think people would go to. It’s still getting better after a big civil war where about 400,000 people died. It became its own country in 2011, but there’s still fighting, lots of corruption, and not enough food.
Some experts think South Sudan is talking to Israel for a reason. A U.S. firm that works with South Sudan said that officials told them about the talks. They said South Sudan might want to have a better relationship with the U.S. and the Trump government so they can travel easier and get rid of penalties on some important people.
Peter Martell, a writer, said that South Sudan needs any friend, money, and help it can get. This means they might see a deal as a way to get money and support.
An Israeli group might visit South Sudan to see about building camps for Palestinians, which Israel would pay for. No one knows when this visit might happen, and Israel’s Foreign Ministry didn’t want to say anything.
What the Law Says and Why People Are Worried
Forcing people to move is against the law and is a war crime, according to the International Criminal Court. Human rights groups say that any voluntary move from Gaza now—when people don’t have enough food and things are bad—can’t really be free.
People also can’t be sent back to a place where they’re in danger. But moving people to South Sudan would be moving them from one bad place to another, which people say is dangerous. It would also break the rule that Palestinians can return to their home.
Other countries, like Egypt, don’t want this to happen. Egyptian officials have been trying to stop this deal because they don’t want lots of refugees coming to their country.
How Israel and South Sudan Know Each Other
Israel and South Sudan have known each other for a while. In the 1960s, Israel helped the South Sudanese rebels when they were fighting against the government in Sudan.
This was because Israel wanted to have friends with countries that weren’t Arab. After South Sudan became a country in 2011, Israel was one of the first to say it was a country, and they became friends.
The leader of South Sudan visited Israel in 2011 and said thank you for the help. This is why Israel might ask South Sudan for help now and why South Sudan might say yes.
What Palestinians and South Sudanese Think
Palestinians don’t want to move away from Gaza for good. They think it’s a way for Israel to take their land and keep them away from their home.
People in South Sudan also don’t want this to happen. Edmund Yakani, who runs a group in South Sudan, said that the country should not become a dumping ground for people. He also said there might be fights because of old problems with Muslims and Arabs there.
South Sudan is already having trouble taking care of its own people and refugees. If lots of Palestinians come, it will be even harder.
Waiting to Hear What Happens
The Israeli Foreign Ministry hasn’t said anything about this, and South Sudan’s Foreign Minister hasn’t answered questions. The U.S. State Department also didn’t want to talk about private talks.
Because no one is saying anything, people are even more worried. They want to know what’s happening and say no to any plans that break the law.
The world is watching to see if this plan to move people will happen. It’s a big deal because of what it means for right and wrong and the law.
