The US and Israel reached out to three East African government officials to discuss the issue using the territory as a potential destination for moving Palestinians, which had been uprooted from the Gaza Strip under the postwar plan proposed by President Donald Trump, US and Israeli officials told The Associated Press.
The contacts with Somali Sudan, Somalia and the Breakaway regions known as Somali reflect the US and Israel’s determination to push forward with plans that have been widely condemned and raised serious legal and moral issues. With all three locations being poor and sometimes plagued by violence, the proposal also raises questions about Trump’s stated goal of resetting Palestinians in Gaza in “beautiful areas.”
Sudanese officials have said they refused to overture from the US, but Somaliland officials told The Associated Press that they were unaware of their contacts.
Under Trump’s plan, more than 2 million people in Gaza will be sent elsewhere forever. He proposed that the US acquire territorial ownership, oversee the long cleanup process and develop it as a real estate project.
The idea of mass transfer of Palestinians was once considered a fantasy of the super-nationalist fringe of Israeli. But since Trump unveiled the idea at a White House meeting last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed it as a “bold vision.”
The Palestinians in Gaza have rejected the proposal, dismissed Israel’s claims, claiming that the departure is voluntary. Arab countries have expressed fierce opposition and provided alternative reconstruction plans to introduce Palestinians. Rights groups say that forced or pressured Palestinians to leave could be a potential war crime.
On the condition of anonymity to discuss the secret diplomatic initiative, US and Israeli officials confirmed contacts between Somalia and Somaliland, while Americans also confirmed Sudan. They said it was unclear how much progress has progressed in the effort or at what level of discussion took place.
According to US officials, Israel is taking the lead in the debate a few days after Trump came up with the Gaza plan with Netanyahu.
Israel and the US have a variety of incentives, including finance, diplomacy, and security, to provide these potential partners. Trump is the formula used five years ago when he brokered Abraham’s Accord. It is a series of mutually beneficial diplomatic agreements between Israel and the four Arab countries.
The White House declined to comment on its outreach efforts.
The Netanyahu and Ron Dahmer offices, the Israeli Cabinet Minister and the Netanyahu abdomen who lead Israel’s postwar plans also had no comment.
But Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a longtime advocate who he calls Palestinian “voluntary” immigrants, said this week that Israel is working to identify countries that will take on Palestinians. He also said Israel is preparing a “very large immigration department” within the Ministry of Defense.