Uganda Signals Openness to Hosting Palestinian Refugees in Deal Backed by Israel

KAMPALA — Uganda could become a new host country for Palestinian refugees under a potential arrangement with Israel, according to comments made Friday by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Uganda’s Defence Forces, senior presidential adviser and son of President Yoweri Museveni.

“Gen Yoweri  Museveni and Prime Minister Netanyahu will take the final decision. But as a principle, we have no problem with some Palestinian refugees settling in Uganda, as long as the government of Israel supports their resettlement,” Gen. Kainerugaba posted on social media.

The remarks, the first public signal from a senior Ugandan figure linking the Palestinian refugee crisis to Uganda’s long-standing refugee policy, come amid intensifying humanitarian fallout from the Gaza conflict. Thousands of Palestinians remain displaced, with the United Nations warning of worsening conditions.

Uganda is already the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, sheltering more than 1.6 million people from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and other conflict zones. Kampala has previously been linked to migration arrangements with Israel, including reports in 2014 that it received African asylum seekers deported from Israel, a claim both governments denied at the time.

The suggestion of taking in Palestinian refugees places Uganda at a sensitive intersection of Middle Eastern geopolitics, African migration policy, and global humanitarian debate. By allowing the message to come from the president’s son rather than through a formal government announcement, Kampala appears to be testing domestic and international reactions before committing to an official position. It signals openness to the idea while retaining the flexibility to recalibrate depending on feedback from allies and critics alike.

Hosting Palestinian refugees with Israeli backing could strengthen Uganda’s long-standing, if discreet, security and trade relationship with Israel. Yet it also risks unsettling relations with Arab and Muslim-majority states, many of which strongly back the Palestinian cause and could interpret such an arrangement as tacit support for Israeli policy.

Domestically, Uganda’s reputation for generosity towards refugees is well established, but the addition of Palestinians, displaced from outside the African continent, could spark debate over whether Uganda’s already stretched resources should extend to crises beyond the region. Public opinion may divide between those who see the plan as a humanitarian gesture and those who view it as politically motivated.

Internationally, the move could elicit sharply contrasting reactions. Western governments and aid agencies may praise Uganda for offering a rare resettlement pathway in one of the world’s most protracted crises. Palestinian leaders and human rights advocates, however, could condemn it as an attempt by Israel to offload its humanitarian obligations, potentially undermining the Palestinians’ long-asserted right of return. Any relocation outside the Middle East would touch one of the most sensitive political and symbolic issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

If handled with careful diplomacy, the proposal could enhance Uganda’s global humanitarian profile and deepen strategic partnerships. If mishandled, it risks embroiling the country in one of the most divisive disputes of modern times, with consequences that could reverberate far beyond Kampala’s borders.

Predicted Global Reactions

In Israel, the proposal is likely to be welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as a sign of deepening ties with Uganda and as a practical outlet for addressing refugee concerns without altering Israel’s security policy.

The Palestinian Authority is expected to reject the idea outright, framing it as an Israeli attempt to permanently resettle Palestinians abroad and weaken their claim to the right of return.

The Arab League would almost certainly join in that criticism, warning that the relocation of Palestinians to Africa risks setting a precedent that undermines Arab solidarity and international consensus on the two-state solution. The United Nations could take a more cautious tone, acknowledging Uganda’s history of hosting refugees while emphasizing that any arrangement must be voluntary, respect international law, and avoid infringing on Palestinians’ political and human rights.