US-Backed Board of Peace Effort Advances as Diplomat Mladenov Meets Palestinian Authority VP
Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh met on Friday with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov in Ramallah, a day after the Bulgarian diplomat held separate talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and met with President Isaac Herzog. Mladenov is expected to take on a senior operational role for the US-backed Board of Peace, the transitional oversight body being assembled to manage Gaza’s next phase under President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.
Sheikh said in a statement on X that “an in-depth discussion took place on all political and field developments in the Palestinian territories,” adding that the talks included “a focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip, means of transitioning to the second phase [of the ceasefire], mechanisms for implementing … Trump’s plan, and UN Security Council Resolution 2803.” The resolution, adopted in November, endorsed the framework for Gaza’s postwar governance.
Mladenov previously served as the UN’s envoy for the Middle East peace process from 2015 until 2020, during which he engaged in repeated efforts to calm flare-ups between Israel and Hamas. According to officials cited in the material, he is slated to be the Board of Peace’s representative on the ground in Gaza, working with a Palestinian technocratic committee that Egypt has been helping to assemble alongside consultations with the US, Israel, and Palestinian factions.
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The Board of Peace is expected to be announced next week, with the United States seeking to finalize its membership ahead of the group’s first meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos. US officials and Arab diplomats cited in the provided material say Washington aims to begin early fundraising once the structure is unveiled.
Alongside the Board, an intermediate executive committee is also planned, with Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff expected to participate, as well as former UK prime minister Tony Blair. That group would maintain closer oversight of Gaza’s transition, while Mladenov liaises directly with the Palestinian technocratic team.
Uncertainty remains about when the administration will reveal the composition of the International Stabilization Force, the body intended to replace Israeli troops in Gaza. The United States has struggled to secure troop commitments.
