Is Trump still eyeing Sudan to displace Palestinians from Gaza?
Agencies - Moatinoon
The Associated Press reported that the United States and Israel have contacted officials from three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for relocating Palestinians displaced from the Gaza Strip under President Donald Trumps proposed post-war plan.
The agency identified Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland as destinations where the United States and Israel intend to resettle Palestinians from Gaza under a plan that has been widely condemned and has raised serious legal and ethical issues. Because these three regions are poor and, in some cases, plagued by violence, the proposal casts doubt on Trumps stated goal of resettling Palestinians from Gaza in a "beautiful place."
According to the agency, officials from Sudan have rejected overtures from the United States, while officials from Somalia and Somaliland said they were unaware of any contacts.
Under the Trump plan, more than two million Gazans would be permanently relocated. Trump proposed that the United States take ownership of the area, oversee a lengthy cleanup, and develop it as a real estate project.
The idea of mass displacement of Palestinians was previously considered a fantasy of Israels ultranationalist movement. But since Trump floated the idea in a White House meeting last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised it as a "bold vision."
Palestinians in Gaza have rejected the proposal, rejecting Israeli claims that the departure would be voluntary. Arab states have expressed strong opposition and offered an alternative reconstruction plan that would keep Palestinians in place. Human rights groups have said that forcing or pressuring Palestinians to leave could constitute a potential war crime.
US and Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a secret diplomatic initiative, confirmed contacts with Somalia and Somaliland, while the Americans also confirmed contacts with Sudan. They said it was unclear how far the efforts had progressed or the level of discussions.
Separate outreach efforts by the United States and Israel to the three potential destinations began last month, days after Trump presented the Gaza plan alongside Netanyahu, according to US officials, who said Israel was leading the discussions.
Israel and the United States have a variety of incentives—financial, diplomatic, and security—to offer these potential partners. Its a formula Trump used five years ago when he brokered the Abraham Accords—a series of mutually beneficial diplomatic agreements between Israel and four Arab countries.
But Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a longtime advocate of what he calls "voluntary" Palestinian immigration, said this week that Israel is working to identify the countries that will accept the Palestinians. He also said Israel is preparing a "significant immigration department" within the Defense Ministry.
The North African country was among the four Abraham Accord signatories that agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020.
As part of the agreement, the United States removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that has given the country access to international loans and global legitimacy. But relations with Israel did not flourish as Sudan descended into war between government forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
According to the Associated Press, two Sudanese officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Trump administration had approached the military-led government about accepting Palestinians.
One of them said that contacts began even before Trumps inauguration, with offers of military assistance against the Rapid Support Forces, post-war reconstruction assistance, and other incentives.
The two officials confirmed that the Sudanese government rejected the idea. "This proposal was immediately rejected," one of them said. "The subject was never raised again."
