Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel will allow Palestinians to leave combat zones in the Gaza Strip and, if they wish, to emigrate abroad. The remarks came as the Israel Defense Forces finalize plans for an expanded ground offensive aimed at retaking areas of Gaza City still held by Hamas. Six people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press that Israel is in preliminary discussions with South Sudan about accepting large numbers of Gazans, part of what Netanyahu has described as a policy of “voluntary migration.” Similar feelers have reportedly been extended to other African states. Rights organizations and Palestinian officials say any mass relocation would constitute forcible transfer under international law. On Wednesday South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry called the reports “baseless,” adding that no negotiations on absorbing Gaza residents are under way. Egyptian officials, meanwhile, reiterated their opposition to any scheme that would move Palestinians out of the enclave, warning of a regional refugee crisis. The debate over emigration unfolds against escalating humanitarian concerns. Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel’s 22-month campaign has killed more than 61,700 people and displaced the vast majority of the territory’s 2.3 million residents. Western governments have pressed Israel to expand aid flows and to accept a 60-day truce proposal now being revived by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.