JERUSALEM, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met here on Thursday with Nikolay Mladenov, a candidate to lead a proposed new executive body for Gaza, and reiterated demands for the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Palestinian enclave.
During the meeting, Netanyahu stressed that Hamas "must be disarmed" and Gaza "should be demilitarized" in line with a 20-point framework proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, read a statement from Netanyahu's office.
Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat who served as the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process from 2015 to 2020, has been designated as director-general of the proposed "Peace Council" for Gaza.
His candidacy emerged after several Arab and Muslim states reportedly opposed the appointment of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to head the body, citing his support for the 2003 Iraq invasion.
The proposed executive committee is part of a broader Trump-backed plan for Gaza that envisions an international security or stabilization force and a temporary technocratic Palestinian administration that would exclude Hamas.
The meeting came amid ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. Gaza-based health authorities said Thursday that at least 425 Palestinians have been killed and 1,206 others injured in Gaza since Oct. 11, 2025. ■
