US, Israel reached out to Sudan, Somalia to resettle Palestinians from Gaza: Report
The Associated Press news agency is reporting that the US and Israel contacted officials from Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland to “discuss using their territories as potential destinations for resettling Palestinians uprooted from the Gaza Strip”.
The agency cited anonymous officials from the US and Israel. It reported that officials from Sudan rejected overtures from the US, while officials from Somalia and Somaliland said they were unaware of any contacts.
Trump floated the idea of forcibly displacing Palestinians and taking over the Gaza Strip in February. The proposal was rejected by Palestinians and countries in the Middle East, with many describing it as tantamount to ethnic cleansing, a war crime.
The US president has since given mixed signals, appearing to soften his stance on Wednesday telling reporters that “nobody is expelling any Palestinians from Gaza.”
Idea of resettling Palestinians to African countries ‘outrageous’
Tamer Qarmout, an associate professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, says the proposal to resettle Palestinians from Gaza is “outrageous” and it’s time for the international community to counter such “inhumane ideas”.
Governments around the world have a “responsibility to stop this and should not be engaging with Israel on any of these scenarios”, he told Al Jazeera.
Qarmout described the forced displacement of Palestinians as “a red line that should not be crossed. This is especially true of African countries, many of which continue to struggle from colonial legacies.”
The Associated Press reported earlier that the US and Israel contacted officials from Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland to discuss a possible resettlement of Gaza’s people there.
“Sudan and Somalia are still ravaged by wars due to the colonial legacy. They [the Israeli government] have to be exposed and put on a shame list,” Qarmout said.
No mention of two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict at G7
Foreign ministers from the G7 nations made no mention of a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in their final draft statement, dropping language that underscored its importance in earlier drafts of the text.
The members instead stressed the imperative of a “political horizon for the Palestinian people” and reaffirmed their support for the resumption of unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza and for a permanent ceasefire.
Diplomats said the statement – an all-encompassing document touching on geopolitical issues from across the world – still needed to get the green light from ministers before they wrap up talks on Friday morning.
“They underscored the imperative of a political horizon for the Palestinian people, achieved through a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that meets the legitimate needs and aspirations of both peoples and advances comprehensive Middle East peace, stability and prosperity,” the draft said.
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