Jerusalem, Undefined – Israel’s President Isaac Herzog on Thursday met with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, whom media reports say is expected to represent the US‑backed Board of Peace in Gaza.
A spokesman from Herzog’s office said the president met with Mladenov on Thursday, without providing further details or specifying where the two met.
The Times of Israel reported that Mladenov was expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Thursday.
Under Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, the territory will be governed by a temporary transitional technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, under the oversight and supervision of the Board of Peace.
Citing US officials and sources familiar with the matter, US media outlet Axios reported that Trump is expected to announce the board next week as part of the second stage of the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that came into effect in October.
It added that the board would include around 15 world leaders.
“Among the countries expected to join the board are the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey,” Axios reported.
Since October 10, a truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but some White House officials fear both are slow-walking the second stage of the ceasefire.
Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to gradually withdraw from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas is supposed to lay down its weapons.
An international stabilisation force (ISF) is also to be deployed.
Both sides, however, have alleged frequent ceasefire violations.
