Representatives of the international Board of Peace, established under a US-backed initiative led by President Donald Trump, are expected to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days for the first time since the body's establishment earlier this year, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported Wednesday.
The broadcaster said representatives of Nickolay Mladenov, who Trump appointed the board's high representative for Gaza, submitted an official request to the Israeli army seeking entry into the embattled enclave.
According to the report, this would mark the first visit by a Board of Peace representatives to Gaza since the body was formed months ago.
The broadcaster quoted a source within the board as saying that Palestinian group Hamas "has not understood that it must disarm," adding that the killing of leaders of the group's armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, is "part of the process of disarming Hamas."
On Tuesday evening, Israeli strikes targeting western Gaza City killed Mohammed Awda, head of the brigades.
The broadcaster added that Mladenov last week presented a 15-point plan aimed at implementing Trump's Gaza initiative, including the deployment of a multinational force referred to as the "International Stabilization Force."
It said representatives of the multinational force are also expected to visit Gaza next month.
According to the report, Washington is expected to become more involved in Gaza affairs following the winding down of confrontation with Iran, with the anticipated visit by Board of Peace representatives seen as an initial indicator of that engagement.
On Jan. 16, the White House announced the adoption of transitional governance structures for Gaza, including the board, the Gaza Executive Council, the National Committee for Gaza Administration, and the International Stabilization Force.
The first Board of Peace meeting on Gaza was held on Feb. 19 at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington under Trump's leadership.
The initiative formed part of phase two of Trump's 20-point plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza, backed by a UN Security Council Resolution from last November.
With US support, Israel launched a genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians and injuring over 172,000 others, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures.
