CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE, ADDS GRAFS 1-4
By James Tasamba
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Rwanda, Chad and the Congo denied Friday that any negotiations with Israel regarding the possible reception of Palestinian migrants from the Gaza Strip has taken place.
The Rwandan Foreign Ministry said "disinformation" published by Israel media alleging talks between Israel and Rwanda on the possibility of transfer of Palestinians from Gaza to Rwanda is "completely false."
"No such discussion has taken place either now or in the past, and the disinformation should be ignored," it said.
Earlier, Congo and Chad also denied holding talks with Israel about the transfer of Palestinians from Gaza.
Contrary to what is reported in some media, there has “never been any form of negotiation, discussion or initiative” between Kinshasa and the Israeli state on the alleged reception of Palestinian migrants on Congolese soil, the Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said in a statement late Thursday.
The move followed recent media reports indicating the three African countries could take in Palestinian migrants.
The Israeli government is reportedly adopting the “voluntary” resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza as an official policy.
Israel media quoted a senior source in the security Cabinet as saying this week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is discreetly exploring the possibility of sending thousands of migrants from Gaza to Rwanda and DR Congo.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 22,600 Palestinians have since been killed and 57,910 others injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave's infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.