Rumors have swirled for weeks about the possibility of South Sudan accepting Palestinian refugees from Gaza, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial suggestion that Gazans could voluntarily emigrate to third countries. But on Thursday, September 4, 2025, South Sudan’s government issued a categorical denial: it will not be taking in Palestinians from Gaza, nor has it signed any agreement with the United States to accept deportees from other nations. The message, delivered in no uncertain terms by senior South Sudanese officials, aimed to quash speculation that has only grown louder since high-level diplomatic visits and a flurry of international media reports.
At the heart of the controversy lies a single, persistent question: Is South Sudan quietly preparing to serve as a destination for displaced Gazans? The answer from Juba, the South Sudanese capital, is a resounding no. "There has never been any question that has been discussed… on the issue of Palestinians being resettled in South Sudan," Philip Jada Natana, director general for bilateral relations, told reporters during a press briefing, according to AFP and The Times of Israel. His remarks were echoed by foreign ministry spokesperson Apuk Ayuel Mayen, who insisted, "There is no discussions on that and there is no deal that has been signed."
The denials come after weeks of mounting speculation. Netanyahu’s comments about voluntary emigration for Gazans, along with reports from the Associated Press and The Telegraph naming South Sudan as a potential host country, fueled rumors of a secret resettlement arrangement. The rumors intensified after Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel visited Juba in August 2025, a visit described by officials as "the highest-level engagement from an Israeli official to South Sudan thus far." Yet, despite the diplomatic fanfare, South Sudan’s foreign ministry maintains that no such agreement has ever been on the table.
International media outlets have offered conflicting accounts. The Associated Press reported that talks were underway, citing six individuals with knowledge of the discussions. The Telegraph went further, claiming that a resettlement plan for Gaza civilians had been quietly brokered with Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. But South Sudan’s foreign ministry dismissed these reports as "baseless," reiterating that no plan to receive Palestinians from Gaza exists or has ever been considered.
The rumors have not only unsettled South Sudanese officials but have also drawn sharp responses from Palestinian leaders. Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior official in the Palestinian Authority, was unequivocal in his rejection: "We reject any plan or idea to displace any of our people to South Sudan or to any other place." This sentiment was mirrored by the office of Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, which also condemned any attempt at forced or voluntary displacement of Palestinians outside Gaza.
Adding another layer to the story is the issue of third-country deportees from the United States. In July 2025, South Sudan accepted eight men deported from the US, all of whom had been convicted of serious crimes as part of former President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. This move raised eyebrows and stoked speculation that Juba might be entering into a broader deportation agreement with Washington. But again, South Sudanese officials insist this was a one-off event. Apuk Ayuel Mayen clarified, "The recent deportation was the result of a single bilateral engagement. There is no discussions on that and there is no deal that has been signed." Of the eight deportees, only one was a South Sudanese citizen—he has since been released to his family. The other seven remain in official custody, according to AFP.
The context for these denials is crucial. South Sudan is itself a nation in crisis. The world’s youngest country, it has been grappling with a worrying uptick in violence and remains deeply scarred by a civil war that only formally ended in 2018, a conflict that claimed approximately 400,000 lives. The prospect of accepting large numbers of refugees or deportees, whether from Gaza or elsewhere, is not only politically fraught but also logistically daunting. Analysts and diplomats warn that South Sudan is at risk of sliding back into conflict, with fragile peace barely holding amid ongoing instability. For a country struggling to meet the needs of its own citizens, the idea of absorbing a new, vulnerable population is simply untenable.
Despite the repeated denials from Juba, speculation about the fate of Gaza’s civilians continues to swirl in international circles. Netanyahu’s proposal for voluntary emigration remains a point of contention, both within Israel and abroad. His government has suggested that it is in talks with a number of countries—South Sudan among them—about the possibility of resettling Gazans. Yet, with every public statement, South Sudanese officials seem determined to distance themselves from the idea. As Philip Jada Natana put it, there has been no "question that has been discussed… on the issue of Palestinians being resettled in South Sudan."
For many observers, the diplomatic dance reflects broader geopolitical tensions. Israel’s search for countries willing to accept Gazans is part of a larger strategy to address the ongoing humanitarian and political crisis in the region. The United States and the United Arab Emirates have reportedly been involved in discussions, though their roles remain shrouded in secrecy. Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders have made it clear that any attempt to relocate their people—whether forcibly or under the guise of voluntary emigration—will be met with fierce resistance.
The arrival of Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel in Juba in August was, by all accounts, a significant diplomatic moment. South Sudanese officials described it as the highest-level engagement from Israel to date. Yet, the visit appears to have been more about strengthening bilateral ties than negotiating the fate of Gaza’s civilians. No new agreements were announced, and subsequent statements from both sides focused on economic and diplomatic cooperation, rather than refugee resettlement.
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: South Sudan’s government is eager to set the record straight. The country will not be accepting Palestinians from Gaza, nor is it entering into any new agreements to take deportees from the United States or elsewhere. With violence simmering at home and memories of a devastating civil war still fresh, Juba is in no position to take on new humanitarian burdens—no matter what the international rumor mill may suggest.
For now, the question of where, if anywhere, displaced Gazans might go remains unanswered. But as far as South Sudan is concerned, the answer is simple: not here.
