PRISTINA, March 30 - Kosovo's cabinet on Monday approved sending a contingent to Gaza to take part in an international security force tied to a U.S.-backed plan following last year's ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Officials said the defence ministry authorized the deployment after receiving an invitation from the United States in December. The approval was announced during a televised ministerial meeting where Prime Minister Albin Kurti said Kosovo was prepared to take part.
"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 told the meeting.
The international contingent — described as an International Stabilization Force — is intended to help preserve peace and support a transitional administration in Gaza under U.S. President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace." Several countries, including Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Albania, have already committed personnel to the force, officials said.
The government in Pristina did not disclose how many troops Kosovo will send.
Violence in Gaza has continued despite the ceasefire that began in November. Local health officials report that the Israeli military has killed more than 680 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, and that overall fatalities since the start of the conflict in October 2023 exceed 72,000.
Kosovo, a Balkan territory with about 1.6 million residents, is an ally of the United States, which supported its declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008.
Summary of developments
- Kosovo's government approved sending troops to participate in an international stabilization force in Gaza after a U.S. invitation in December.
- The force is part of a U.S.-backed initiative to maintain peace and underpin a transitional administration under President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace."
- Several nations, including Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Albania, have committed forces; Kosovo has not released the size of its contribution.
This decision unfolds against a backdrop of continuing casualties and humanitarian tolls reported by local health authorities in Gaza.