Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Bulgarian diplomat Nikolai Miladinov.
Miladinov has been chosen to serve as the director general for Trump’s Board of Peace aimed at overseeing the peace process in Gaza and rebuilding the territory.
The meeting comes as the Gaza peace plan brokered by the U.S. President Donald Trump approaches Phase 2, which includes the disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of an international stabilization force.
According to media reports, Miladinov assisted the US in negotiations for the 2020 Abraham Accords, in which multiple Arab countries normalize diplomatic ties with Israel.
However, Israel says the last remaining hostage Ran Gvili, whose body still remains in the Gaza Strip, must be returned before they move on to the second phase of the plan.
Under Phase 1, Hamas released 47 Israeli hostages, including 20 living hostages, taken during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Gvili remains the only Israeli hostage who has not yet been returned by Hamas.
Israel released more than 1,000 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons in exchange.
