Kosovo signs agreement to join US-led Gaza stabilization force

Kosovo has formally agreed to join the International Stabilization Force planned for Gaza, becoming one of a small group of countries signed up for the mission. The agreement was signed on Monday and was described as a formal step in Kosovo's inclusion in the force. It comes as international efforts continue to shape the post-war security arrangements for Gaza.

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According to a statement posted by the US-backed Board of Peace, representatives of Kosovo, the Board of Peace and the International Stabilization Force signed the Participating Country Agreement. The accord was signed by Kosovo Security Force Commander Lieutenant-General Bashkim Jashari and US ISF Commander Major-General Jasper Jeffers. The Board of Peace said the move underlined Kosovo's commitment to the mission and its support for President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan.

The plan is a US-Israeli framework introduced one year ago to end the war in Gaza. It envisages a multinational security mission to maintain stability, manage demilitarisation and train a Palestinian police force to oversee security in post-conflict Gaza. Countries confirmed to be contributing troops include Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Albania and Uganda.

Turkiye will not take part after Israel vetoed Ankara's involvement. The agreement matters because the force is intended to be part of the wider security structure for Gaza after the conflict, but deployment has already faced obstacles. Israel approved key legal measures in July to allow the force to enter Gaza, and an official said it would operate in full coordination with the Israeli military.

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Even so, disagreements remain over the timing of the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hamas. The latest step also highlights Kosovo's willingness to take part in a mission linked to one of the most sensitive diplomatic and security files in the region. Kosovo is a small Muslim-majority Balkan state, and its decision places it among a limited number of countries prepared to contribute troops to the planned force.

The move may also be read as support for the US-led framework at a time when its implementation remains uncertain. Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for the Board of Peace, said on Monday that Israel must implement its commitments under the Gaza peace roadmap for the process to move forward. He said the parties were still at a stage where they needed to ensure that what had been agreed would be carried out and would significantly change life in Gaza.

What remains unclear is when the force will deploy, how the remaining political disputes will be resolved, and whether the current list of contributing countries will expand further.

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