President Donald Trump is expected this week to finalize appointments to his Gaza Board of Peace, Bloomberg reported Sunday.
So far, only one member has been named: Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian politician and former U.N. envoy to the Middle East, who will serve as the board’s director-general.
Chaired by Trump and made up largely of heads of government, the board is tasked with implementing his 20-point plan to transform Gaza. The initiative seeks to replace Hamas terrorists with an interim governing authority while securing foreign security forces and reconstruction funding.
Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian American who has negotiated with Hamas on Trump’s behalf, said Saturday that the board is expected to be announced in the coming week, with its first meeting held on the sidelines of the Davos conference later this month.
Trump unveiled the 20-point Gaza plan last September, emphasizing that his goal went beyond ending the war with Hamas terrorists. The proposal — dubbed “New Gaza” — aims to rebuild the enclave, improve civilian living conditions, and prevent Gaza from again becoming a base for attacks against Israel.
Progress beyond the initial phase has been limited. Hamas agreed only to the terms from the first phase, centered on a ceasefire and humanitarian access. Even so, the ceasefire remains fragile as efforts continue to recover the remains of the final Israeli hostage in Gaza.
Hamas attacks have persisted. Israel’s military said Friday it struck Hamas targets across northern and southern Gaza after terrorists launched a failed projectile from the Gaza City area. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in recent Palestinian ambushes.
“Hamas can’t continue to postpone disarming,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Israel’s Kan TV. “They’re not going to have a future there.”
Under the plan, Palestinian factions are expected to meet in Cairo next week to name technocrats for a new Gaza government. Unnamed countries would later supply troops for an International Stabilization Force to provide interim security.
If Hamas agrees to disarm, the troops would be responsible for collecting the group’s weapons. However, few negotiators believe they would be willing or able to compel Hamas to surrender its arms by force, Bloomberg said.
Eli Cohen, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said Israel should allow the contingent a limited grace period — “a few months,” he said — before considering a renewed military campaign against Hamas involving tanks and ground forces.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.