Breakaway Kosovo to deploy troops to Gaza stabilization force
Kosovo approved sending troops to Gaza as part of Trump's International Stabilization Force, announced PM Albin Kurti, citing Kosovo's own experience with international forces.
The government of Kosovo has stated it will support former US President Donald Trump's proposed stabilization force in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced on Monday that the breakaway region has approved deploying troops as part of the force proposed by Trump's 'Board of Peace'. In a televised meeting, Kurti declared that Kosovo is "ready to participate and help the people of Gaza, because we ourselves have been and are beneficiaries of international forces since 1999."
Kosovo, an Albanian-separatist state that emerged from the NATO-backed war against Yugoslavia which included the bombing of Belgrade, controversially declared independence in 2008. This declaration remains disputed, with over 90 UN member states including Serbia, Russia, China, India, Spain, and Greece not recognizing its sovereignty. Meanwhile, former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi faces war crimes accusations and awaits verdict at The Hague.
The International Stabilization Force (ISF) was envisioned in a UN Security Council resolution passed last November supporting Trump's 20-point plan for postwar Gaza. It subsequently became part of the 'Board of Peace' established in January to oversee Gaza's reconstruction and ceasefire implementation. The ISF's stated mission includes training a new Palestinian police force, securing borders, maintaining security, protecting humanitarian operations, and helping demilitarize the enclave.
Kosovo, which has only 4,000 active military personnel and ranks 139th out of 145 countries according to Global Firepower, joins other nations like Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, and Albania that have also committed troops. Kurti hasn't specified how many soldiers Kosovo would contribute. Meanwhile, countries including Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE are in talks about contributing, while major Western powers like Germany, France, and the UK have declined to join. Russia is studying an invitation but considers the initiative irrelevant given US aggression in the Middle East, and China has declined, citing its commitment to a UN-centered international system.
