Kosovo’s leadership announced Monday their commitment to deploy military personnel to Gaza as part of an international peacekeeping operation supported by the United States, following last year’s ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The Balkan nation joins several other countries, including Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, and Albania, in contributing forces to what’s being called the International Stabilization Force. This peacekeeping mission aims to maintain stability and support a transitional government in Gaza under President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative.
During a televised government meeting on Monday, Kosovo’s defense ministry confirmed the deployment decision after receiving an invitation from Washington in December.
“We are ready to participate and help the people of Gaza, because we ourselves have been and are beneficiaries of international forces since 1999,” Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated during the session.
Officials did not disclose the specific number of troops Kosovo plans to send to the region.
Despite the ceasefire that took effect in November, tensions remain high in Gaza. Local health authorities report that Israeli forces have killed more than 680 Palestinians since the truce began. The broader conflict, which started in October 2023, has resulted in over 72,000 deaths according to local officials.
Kosovo, home to 1.6 million people in the Balkans, maintains strong ties with the United States, which supported the country’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008.
