Israel is negotiating resettlement of Palestinians with five countries
Photo:Talks ongoing with South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Libya and Indonesia (Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country is holding talks with several states on accepting Palestinians displaced by the war in the Gaza Strip, according to CNN.
According to CNN, a senior Israeli official specified that the talks involve South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Libya, and Indonesia.
He added that, in exchange for accepting part of Gaza’s population (over 2 million people in total), the countries expect "significant financial and international compensation."
Earlier on Wednesday, South Sudan denied media reports about negotiations on resettling Palestinians, calling such claims "baseless and do not reflect the official position." Earlier this year, Somalia also stated that no such talks had taken place.
Regarding Indonesia, representatives said last week that the country was ready to receive 2,000 Palestinians from Gaza for medical treatment, but noted that they would return after recovery.
Netanyahu, for his part, has never provided detailed plans for Gaza’s future after the war, but has repeatedly voiced support for the relocation of Palestinians. However, in an interview with i24, he said such a plan would not involve "not pushing out" Palestinians but would instead be "allowing them to leave."
"All those who say they’re concerned for the Palestinians and want to help Palestinians," Netanyahu said, should "open their doors."
Recently, Israel approved a military plan to capture Gaza City. Netanyahu said the goal was not occupation but to free the city from the Hamas group.
However, thousands of people in Tel Aviv protested against Netanyahu’s plan for Gaza. Polls show that the vast majority of Israelis support an immediate end to the war.
