The Day of the Mladenov Gaza Peace Council Nomination

Morning editorial priority centered on the lethal convergence of a severe winter wave and continuous ceasefire violations. Reports highlighted the deaths of 21 people, primarily infants, due to extreme cold in Gaza's tent camps, alongside Israeli military incursions in Nablus that resulted in the injury of a soldier and the detention of journalists. By midday, the focus shifted to administrative restructuring as Hamas signaled its readiness to hand over Gaza’s governance to a technocratic committee, while Palestinian Authority staff began census preparations for a return to institutional work. Concurrently, Israel advanced settlement plans in East Jerusalem’s Atarot and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhoods. In the evening, the diplomatic transition solidified with the formal nomination of Nickolay Mladenov to lead the Trump-backed 'Gaza Peace Council.' While Cairo hosted Phase 2 negotiations, Fatah officially declined participation, insisting on the exclusivity of existing Palestinian institutions, even as Hamas postponed its own internal leadership elections.