Israel is pressuring Gaza ceasefire talks by forcing residents to “leave” and floating the idea of relocating them to African countries such as South Sudan, Palestinian political sources have said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated that his army would “allow” Palestinians to leave Gaza. At the same time, AP reported that Israel is in talks with South Sudan to host Gazans - a claim the African nation denied.
The reports came days after Israel announced plans to reoccupy Gaza, amid renewed efforts to secure a ceasefire in the devastated territory, where Israeli forces have killed more than 61,700 Palestinians since October 2023.
“There are desperate attempts to improve Israel’s negotiating terms,” one of the Palestinian political sources told The National on Wednesday.
“What Netanyahu is doing is an attempt to show he is taking action amid his internal crisis: what to do with the Gaza war,” said the official, a former minister.
Calls to forcibly resettle Palestinians from Gaza have previously drawn widespread condemnation, especially from Arab countries, who reject the idea of "emptying" Gaza, as previously suggested by US President Donald Trump.
Mr Netanyahu told a televised interview that “Israel will give them the opportunity to leave," adding that he felt he was on a “historic and spiritual mission,” and was “very” attached to the vision of a Greater Israel, which includes parts of Jordan and Egypt.
Pressure tactic
AP previously reported that Israel and the US approached Sudan, Somalia, and the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland with similar resettlement proposals. The status of those talks is unclear.
On Wednesday, Israeli media reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel would hold a series of meetings in South Sudan, the first official visit to the East African country by an Israeli government representative.
“Israel and Netanyahu are in crisis, and global shifts are exerting significant pressure on them. They need desperate measures and desperate propaganda to push their way through,” said a Palestinian source.
Last week, Israel’s cabinet approved Mr Netanyahu’s plans to occupy Gaza city in the north and displace half of the population by forcing them south. Sources told The National that invading the city would mark the start of reoccupying the entire territory, 20 years after Israel’s so-called “disengagement” from Gaza.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday it had approved the "framework" for a new assault.
Israeli planes and tanks bombed eastern areas of Gaza city heavily overnight, residents told Reuters on Wednesday, with many homes destroyed in the Zeitoun and Shujaiya neighbourhoods.
Many see this as another pressure tactic in ceasefire negotiations, which Israel wants to avoid tying to an obligation to end the war and withdraw from Gaza, a condition Hamas insists on.
“The Israeli army is present throughout Gaza, and talk of a new offensive is an Israeli pressure tactic. It will cost them many men and much money. The chances of a battle are slim,” the former minister said.
