Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s recent visit to Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland is a brazen violation of international law and foundational principles of the United Nations.

The international community, in particular Islamic and African nations, have denounced his Tuesday’s visit to the territory.

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in late December has already triggered fierce backlash across Africa, the Arab world, and beyond. Somalia’s government instantly condemned the move as illegal and an attack on its sovereignty, stressing that Somaliland remains an inseparable part of Somalia.

Although Somaliland declared independence in the 1990s, it has not been recognized by Somalia or any other world government. 

The Israeli recognition of Somaliland has spotlighted its underlying motives, raising questions about regional security, international law, and the fate of Palestinians in Gaza.

Hamas has linked the move to plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza to Somaliland. This echoes earlier reports that Israel had quietly explored resettlement options in Africa as part of a broader strategy to reduce the Palestinian presence in Gaza. Somaliland, as a destination for Palestinians expelled from Gaza, has now become a central concern.

Human rights advocates in Somaliland had already warned that such a move would not only destabilize the region but also implicate Somaliland in the Israeli crimes in Gaza. The idea of transferring Palestinians into a fragile, unrecognized territory raises profound humanitarian and legal questions. Critics argue it would amount to ethnic cleansing disguised as diplomacy, using Somaliland’s quest for recognition as leverage to facilitate one of the most controversial population transfers in modern history.

For Palestinians, the plan represents a double dispossession: first from their homes in Gaza, and then into a territory whose own sovereignty is contested. For Somaliland, it risks being drawn into a geopolitical bargain that could compromise its legitimacy and embroil it in the Israeli war crimes. 

Beyond the Palestinian issue, analysts argue that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is rooted in strategic calculations. In November, a report by Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies highlighted Somaliland’s potential role in intelligence monitoring of Yemen’s Ansarullah and launching direct operations against the movement. 

The UAE already operates a military base in Berbera, equipped with a port and airstrip. Analysts suggest this base could become a critical node in the UAE’s anti-Ansarullah campaign, with Israel potentially leveraging Emirati ties to expand its own regional footprint.

It is crystal clear that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is more than a diplomatic gesture—it is a geopolitical gambit. It intertwines several strategic objectives. These include establishing a foothold near Yemen and the Red Sea; bringing Somaliland into the Abraham Accords and strengthening ties with U.S. allies and exploring Somaliland as a destination for Palestinians expelled from Gaza.