A former U.N. Mideast envoy has been chosen to direct U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace to oversee the cease-fire in Gaza, Israel's prime minister said Thursday, as at least eight more deaths from Israeli strikes were reported there.
The appointment of Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov marks an important step forward for Trump's Mideast peace plan, which has moved slowly since delivering an October cease-fire ending more than two years of Israel's genocidal military campaign against the Palestinian enclave.
Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement after meeting Mladenov in west Jerusalem, identifying him as the "designated" director-general for the board, which is meant to oversee the implementation of the second and far more complicated phase of the cease-fire.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the appointment has not been officially announced, confirmed Mladenov is the Trump administration's choice to be the board's day-to-day administrator on the ground.
Trump has said he will head the board. Other appointments are expected next week.
