Key Points
- The meeting followed Mladenov’s talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog
- The UN Security Council endorsed President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan in November
- Trump is likely to announce the board next week, with around 15 participating countries
- Under the second phase of the ceasefire, Israel is expected to gradually withdraw from Gaza
- Despite the ceasefire, Israeli air strikes have killed at least 15 Palestinians since Thursday
- Gaza’s Health Ministry reports 425 Palestinians killed and 1,206 injured in ceasefire violations since October 10.
RAMALLAH: Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh met on Friday with former United Nations Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to lead the United States-backed Board of Peace in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.
The meeting in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, took place a day after Mladenov held separate discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat, served as the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 until the end of 2020.
According to media reports, Mladenov is expected to act as the on-the-ground representative in Gaza for the Board of Peace, a transitional governing body for the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave that would nominally be chaired by United States President Donald Trump.
In a post on X, Al-Sheikh said his talks with Mladenov included detailed discussions on political developments and the situation on the ground across the Palestinian territories.
Today, I received in my office in Ramallah Mr. Nickolay Mladenov and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of HE the Director of the General Intelligence Service Majed Faraj, HE Dr. Majdi Al-Khalidi, and the Chief of Staff of the Vice President Mrs. Ayah AlMuhisin.… https://t.co/gITNJ5B4Yw
— حسين الشيخ Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) January 9, 2026
He added there was “a focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip, means of transitioning to the second phase (of the ceasefire), mechanisms for implementing the US President Donald Trump’s plan, and UN Security Council Resolution 2803.”
UN Security Council endorses Trump plan
The UN Security Council resolution endorsed the Trump plan in November.
Under President Donald Trump’s 20-point proposal, Gaza would be administered by an interim, technocratic Palestinian committee with no political affiliation, operating under the oversight of the Board of Peace.
As part of the second phase of the fragile ceasefire that took effect in October, Israel is expected to begin a gradual withdrawal from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas would be required to disarm.
US media outlet Axios has reported that Trump is expected to announce the Board of Peace next week, and it will include around 15 world leaders.
“Among the countries expected to join the board are the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye,” Axios reported.
Israel continues strikes on Gaza
At least 15 Palestinians, including five children, have been killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza since Thursday morning, despite an existing ceasefire, according to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.
Palestinian health officials said the strikes targeted tents sheltering displaced families, residential homes, and a school in various parts of the enclave.
Gaza’s Health Ministry stated that Israeli violations have continued since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, reporting that at least 425 Palestinians have been killed and 1,206 others injured as a result of these breaches.
Since Israel launched its military offensive in October 2023, more than 71,400 Palestinians—most of them women and children—have been killed, and over 171,000 others injured, according to Gaza health authorities.
Large parts of the enclave have been reduced to rubble, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents into repeated displacement amid the ongoing conflict.
