Jerusalem (AP) – The US and Israel reach out to three East African government officials to discuss using their territory as potential destinations Move the Palestinians From Gaza Strip Under President Donald Trump's postwar plan, 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 a plan that has been widely condemned and seriously raised. 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.
Fatima al-Absi's family shares a fast, broken diet, iftar, on the first day of Ramadan in their damaged apartment in Jabariya, the northern Gaza Strip, on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
Under Trump's plan, more than 2 million people in Gaza will be sent elsewhere forever. He suggested that the US take Territory ownershipoversees the long cleanup process and develops 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. However, since Trump unveiled the idea at a White House meeting last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised it as “. A bold vision. ”
The Palestinians of Gaza have it Rejected the proposal And Israel claims it is voluntary to begin with. Arab countries have expressed their stern opposition and proposed Alternative Reconstruction Plan It would place the Palestinians. Rights groups say they will force or pressure Palestinians to leave. Potential war crimes.
Still, the White House says Trump will “straddle his vision.”
President Donald Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Oval Office on Tuesday, February 4th, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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.
This takes a closer look at where officials say they approached it.
Sudan
The North African country was one of the four Abrahamian Allied countries that agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020.
As part of the deal, the US removed Sudan from its national list of terrorist advocates. However, relations with Israel never took off as Sudan entered a civil war between government forces and RSF paramilitary groups.
The conflict has been prominent by atrocities, including ethnically motivated murder and rape, according to the United Nations and rights groups. The International Criminal Court is under investigation War crimes and alleged crimes against humanityand later President Joe Biden's administration in January said the RSF and its proxy were guilty of genocide.
The US and Israel will be difficult to convince Palestinians to leave Gaza, especially those troubled countries. However, they were able to provide incentives to the Khartoum government, including debt relief, arms, technology and diplomatic support.
The two Sudanese officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic issues, confirming that the Trump administration has approached a military-led government in accepting Palestinians.
One of them said the contact information began before Trump took office, offering military aid to the RSF, support for postwar reconstruction and other incentives.
Both authorities said the Sudanese government rejected the idea. “The proposal was immediately rejected,” one official said. “No one has opened this issue again.”
Military Secretary of Abdel Fatta Burhan told the Arab Leader Summit in Cairo last week that his country “will “decisively reject” any plans aimed at relocating their brothers Palestinians from their land under their legitimacy and name.
Somaliland
Somaliland, a territory of over 3 million people in the Horn of Africa, left Somalia more than 30 years ago, but is not recognized as an internationally independent nation. Somalia considers part of Somaliland's territory.
Somaliland's new president, Abdiraman Mohamed Abdullahi, has made international recognition a priority.
American officials involved in the effort confirmed that the US is “in a quiet conversation with Somaliland about various areas that will help the US in exchange for recognition.”
The possibility of US recognition could provide an incentive for Abdullahhi to separate from territorial solidarity with the Palestinians.
Another Abrahamian agreement, which had strong ties with Israel, once had military bases in Somaliland and maintained commercial interests, including ports. The territorial strategic location in Adenwaterway Bay near Yemen, home to the Houthi Rebel Group, can also make it a valuable ally.
For many years, Somaliland has been praised for its relatively stable political environment, in sharp contrast to Somali's continued struggle amid a deadly attack Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-related extremist group. Since 1991, Somaliland has maintained its own government, currency and security structure. Still, it has one of the lowest income levels in the world.
A Somaliland official said he was not allowed to speak to the media on condition of anonymity, saying his government had not been approached and had not discussed recruiting Palestinians.
Palestinians hang decorations next to the destroyed home, on Friday, February 28, 2025, in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan in Karn Yunis, Gaza Strip.
Somalia
Somalia is a supporter of the Palestinian voice and often supports them to hold peaceful protests on the streets. The country rejected Trump's plan and attended a recent Arab summit that seemed like an unlikely destination for Palestinians, even if they agreed to the move.
Sambu Chebkoril, a lawyer and conflict researcher for Nairobi in Kenya, said it is difficult to understand why Somalia wants to host Palestinians, given the country's strong support for Palestinian autonomy.
“As the reorganization continues to change, there may be a hidden agenda,” Chebkoriel said.
The Somali spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media, saying they had not been approached about taking Palestinians from Gaza and there was no discussion about it.
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Lee was reported from Washington, while Magdy reported from Cairo. Evereen Musambi of Nairobi, Kenya and Sam Mednick of Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.
