The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied reports that the Indonesian government is in talks with Israel regarding the potential resettlement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

“ There has been no discussion nor agreement on this matter,” Foreign ministry said spokesman Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela said as quoted in a statement on Thursday, August 14, 2025.

The statement comes after a report by Channel 12, which claimed that Israel is in discussions with five countries and territories − including Indonesia, Somaliland, Uganda, South Sudan, and Libya − to consider accepting Palestinians who may be relocated from Gaza. The report noted that some of these nations, particularly Indonesia and Somaliland, had shown increased openness to accepting voluntary immigration from Gaza.

However, no concrete decisions have been made, and the Indonesian government maintains that it has not engaged in any talks or negotiations regarding the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza.

Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, has reportedly expressed interest in securing international recognition through such a deal.

The Foreign ministry reiterated Indonesia’s long-standing commitment to supporting Palestine and emphasized that the government’s stance on Palestinian issues remains unchanged.

The report came a day after The Associated Press reported that Israel had discussed resettling Gazans in South Sudan − an assertion the African nation’s government rejected on Wednesday as “baseless” and not reflective of its official policy.

AP said such talks were linked to a broader Israeli push to encourage mass emigration from Gaza during the ongoing war with Hamas.

On Wednesday, Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel announced on X that she had arrived in South Sudan, “the world’s youngest country,” as part of Israel’s first official delegation to the African nation.

In her post, Haskel said she met with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba and other officials, signed a diplomatic memorandum of understanding, and visited an Israeli trauma center that she said “saved dozens of children’s lives.”

In an interview with the i24News channel on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again voiced support for the mass emigration of Gazans − a policy endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who broached the idea of resettling Gaza’s population in February but appears to have backed away from it in recent months − saying Israel is in contact with “several countries” about absorbing displaced civilians from the war-torn territory.

“I think this is the most natural thing,” Netanyahu said. “All those who are concerned for the Palestinians and say they want to help the Palestinians should open their doors to them. What are you preaching to us for? We’re not pushing them out − we’re enabling them to leave… first of all, [leaving] combat zones, and also the Strip itself, if they want to.”

Pressed on why the process has not progressed, Netanyahu replied: “You need receiving countries. We are talking to several countries − I won’t detail them here.”

For South Sudan, such a deal could help it build closer ties to Israel as well as build a potential inroad to Trump.

Egypt is deeply opposed to plans to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza, with which it shares a border, fearing an influx of refugees into its own territory.