Israel and South Sudan are holding talks on a proposal to resettle Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza in the African nation, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The plan, still at an exploratory stage, has been swiftly condemned by Palestinian leaders as unacceptable and tantamount to forced displacement.

According to the sources, the idea was raised during meetings last month between Israeli officials and South Sudanese Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba in Tel Aviv. Their account appears to contradict South Sudan’s foreign ministry, which earlier this week dismissed reports of such discussions as “baseless.” The ministry has not yet responded to the latest claims.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly suggested that Palestinians could leave Gaza voluntarily, even as he vowed to extend Israel’s military control over the enclave. Netanyahu said Israel has been in contact with several countries to explore possible destinations but has not disclosed details.

Palestinian officials denounced the reported plan, drawing parallels to the 1948 Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled during the Arab-Israeli war. Wasel Abu Youssef, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization official, said: “The Palestinian leadership and people reject any plan or idea to displace any of our people to South Sudan or to any other place.”

The U.S. State Department declined to comment directly on the reports, with a spokesperson saying, “we do not speak to private diplomatic conversations.”

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who visited Juba this week, denied that relocation was on the agenda. She said discussions with South Sudanese officials focused on “foreign policy, multilateral organisations, the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, and the war.”

Despite mounting international criticism, Netanyahu has maintained that moving Palestinians out of Gaza remains an option, while Arab and global leaders insist that Gaza’s population must not be displaced.

The territory has been devastated by nearly two years of war with Israel, leaving its residents facing worsening humanitarian conditions.