Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to The Associated Press. It is unclear how far the discussions have advanced, but if implemented, the plan would involve transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another — a move likely to raise human rights concerns.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants to realize US President Donald Trump’s vision of relocating much of Gaza’s population through what Netanyahu calls “voluntary migration.” Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations.

“I think that the right thing to do, even according to the laws of war as I know them, is to allow the population to leave, and then you go in with all your might against the enemy who remains there,” Netanyahu said Tuesday in an interview with i24, an Israeli TV station. He did not mention South Sudan.

Palestinians, human rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected such proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law. For South Sudan, a deal could help strengthen ties with Israel — now the dominant military power in the Middle East — and potentially open an inroad to Trump, who floated the idea of resettling Gaza’s population in February but appears to have stepped back in recent months.

The office of Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel, said she was arriving in South Sudan for meetings in what is the first visit there by a senior Israeli government official. However, she did not plan to raise the subject of moving Palestinians.

South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the reports as unfounded. “These claims are baseless and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan,” the ministry said in a statement. (CNN)