Somalia has dismissed reports suggesting that breakaway and autonomous regions of the country could take in displaced Palestinians from Gaza, saying it will not participate in any forced relocation plans, according to The New Arab, citing several sources.

The report mentioned that Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, citing a source from the Somali foreign ministry, indicated that the federal government will not take part in any displacement initiatives aimed at Gazans.

The statement follows reports in Israeli and British media that the autonomous regions of Puntland and Somaliland had expressed openness to hosting Palestinian refugees.

Last week, The Daily Telegraph quoted Israel’s Consul General to the Pacific Southwest, Israel Bachar, as saying that Puntland and Somaliland, alongside Morocco, could serve as destinations for relocated Palestinians.

Reportedly, Yacob Mohamed Abdalla, the Deputy Minister of Information for Puntland, said the region would be open to accepting refugees from Gaza, provided they arrive voluntarily.

However, Somalia's central government distanced itself from such claims. According to The New Arab, a source in the foreign ministry, cited by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, stated that discussions regarding Palestinian displacement were "based on leaks and rumours" and that the government would only respond to an official statement from Washington on the matter.

Another source mentioned by The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, is Abdirahman Keelo, a legal researcher from Puntland. He maintains that given the severe poverty and underdevelopment in the region, talks about the relocation of Gazans are “just a pipedream... This is crazy thinking and mad logic, and forced displacement is forbidden under international humanitarian law.”

The discussion over potential relocation options arose after Egypt and Jordan rejected a proposal from former U.S. President Donald Trump to expel Gazans and resettle them in other parts of the region. Trump's proposal to have the U.S. oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and resettlement has drawn widespread international criticism.

The war in Gaza, now in its 15th month, has devastated the enclave, with the death toll surpassing 61,700, according to the Gaza health ministry.