Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jan 9: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that former United Nations Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov will serve as the director-general of a proposed United States-led “Peace Council” for Gaza.
Netanyahu made the announcement after meeting Mladenov in Jerusalem on Thursday, describing the Bulgarian diplomat as the “designated” head of the proposed body, which forms a key component of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said Mladenov “is slated to serve as Director General of the ‘Peace Council’ in the Gaza Strip.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog also met Mladenov on Thursday, his office confirmed, without providing further details.
Trump’s Gaza plan led to a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October, though Israeli forces have continued to carry out near-daily strikes in the territory. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 425 Palestinians have been killed since the first full day of the truce on October 11, 2025.
Under the proposed plan, the Peace Council would oversee the formation of a new technocratic Palestinian administration, supervise the disarmament of Hamas, coordinate the deployment of an international security force, facilitate the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops, and lead efforts to reconstruct the war-damaged Gaza Strip.
US President Trump is expected to announce further appointments to the council next week, according to Axios, citing US officials and sources familiar with the matter. Countries likely to participate in the council reportedly include the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye.
Mladenov, a former Bulgarian defence and foreign minister, earlier served as the UN envoy to Iraq before holding the post of UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process from 2015 to 2020. During his tenure, he maintained working relations with Israel and was involved in efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Hamas.