For a long time, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was rumored to be President Trump's choice to "lead" Gaza.
But deep opposition among Arab countries put an end to that. He holds a key position on the peace board, but will not be the main figure on the ground pushing forward the peace plan in Gaza.
Instead, that big job falls to a lesser-known man. Nikolay Mladenov, 53, was Bulgaria's foreign minister (2010-2012) and defense minister (2009-2010). He also spent time as a member of the European Parliament in the center-right European People's Party political group.
President Trump has asked him to oversee the Gaza Strip's management on the ground as High Representative for Gaza, and according to Sky News, Mladenov is liked by both sides.
How is it respected by both Palestinians and Israelis, who are usually particularly skeptical of anyone associated with the UN.
During his time in Jerusalem, he was seen as a strong diplomat who made a good impression on key figures on both sides.
In 2021, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas awarded Mladenov the Grand Star of the Order of Jerusalem in recognition of his work to advance peace in the region. His appointment will be seen as a victory for the Palestinian side, which was highly critical of Blair and worried that Trump's appointments would be biased towards the Israeli side.
Mladenov also had a significant regional contribution in helping to shape Trump's Abraham Accords, the diplomatic normalization process between Israel and Arab countries.
He has close ties to the United Arab Emirates, having spent recent years in the Persian Gulf, which will be useful and important for the reconstruction of Gaza.
An Arab source expressed concern that Mladenov has rarely openly criticized the Israelis, but added: “He understands international law and the limits of what he can do.”
