US and Israeli authorities have reportedly reached out to three East African countries to discuss the possibility of using their territories as destinations for Palestinians displaced from the enclave.
This development suggests that Trump may be moving forward with his controversial proposal to relocate Gaza’s two million residents.
Despite Trump’s recent assertion that no Palestinians would be expelled from Gaza, US officials now claim that Washington and Tel Aviv have been in contact with the governments of Sudan, Somalia, and the breakaway region of Somaliland to explore their capacity to receive displaced Gazans.
These countries are currently facing their own challenges, including civil war, drought, and famine.
Israel and the US have various incentives, including financial, diplomatic, and security incentives, to offer these potential partners.
Sudan has reported that it has declined the US offer, while officials from Somalia and Somaliland maintain that they were unaware of any contact.
The White House has declined to comment on these outreach efforts.
Trump’s proposal last month, which involved a US takeover of Gaza to be developed as a real estate project, sent shockwaves globally.
Initially considered the idea of relocating Palestinians as an extreme fringe viewpoint of Israel, it gained traction after Trump’s endorsement at a White House meeting last month.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the plan as a “bold vision” while Arab nations have expressed strong opposition, offering an alternative reconstruction plan to keep Palestinians in place.
Rights groups have cautioned that coercing or pressuring Palestinians to leave could potentially constitute a war crime.
