Albania joins US-backed Gaza stabilization force as Kosovo prepares to deploy team

Albania has agreed to deploy liaison officers to Gaza by November as part of the U.S.-backed International Stabilization Force (ISF), while Kosovo has signaled its readiness to send an explosive ordnance disposal team, marking progress in efforts to assemble an international force for the enclave.

The Board of Peace (BoP), which is overseeing the U.S.-backed initiative, announced Friday that Albania had signed an agreement with the ISF. The ISF commander, U.S. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, and senior Albanian defense officials attended the signing ceremony.

Under the agreement, Albania will provide “security operations support and operations planning capabilities.” The Board of Peace did not specify how many Albanian personnel would participate or when they would arrive in the Gaza Strip.

In November 2025, the U.S. asked 70 countries to join the Gaza stabilization force and contribute military or logistical assistance. However, the Trump administration has struggled to secure international commitments.

Albania’s agreement therefore represents a modest step forward for U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, which envisions Israeli forces eventually withdrawing from the enclave and being replaced by the international force.

Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reported that Kosovo’s Defense Ministry signaled this week that it was willing to deploy troops to Gaza. Kosovo has reportedly offered to send an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team to the region.

“Kosovo’s EOD team is ready and will deploy once ISF is prepared to receive it. The timing of deployment will be determined by ISF, in coordination with the relevant authorities and in line with mission readiness,” Kosovo’s Defense Ministry stated.

“The specific tasks of Kosovo’s personnel will be defined in coordination with ISF as the mission develops,” the ministry added.

The Trump administration has focused on securing contributions from Muslim-majority countries, believing their forces would be more readily accepted in Gaza than troops from non-Muslim countries. Albania and Kosovo are both Muslim-majority nations with strong diplomatic ties to Israel.

In 2021, Kosovo became the first Muslim-majority country to open an embassy in Jerusalem. In September, Kosovo signed an agreement with the Board of Peace to join the ISF alongside countries including Morocco and Kazakhstan.

Morocco, another Muslim-majority country with close ties to Israel, could contribute approximately 500 troops to the force, according to a Board of Peace official.

It remains unclear when the ISF will begin operating in Gaza, which is divided between an Israeli-controlled zone and an area ruled by Hamas. The U.S.-backed plan envisions the force securing areas vacated by Israeli troops and assisting with the disarmament of Hamas.

The ISF is also tasked with training Gaza’s new police force and protecting humanitarian operations in the enclave.

However, implementation faces significant obstacles, including Hamas’ repeated rejection of demands to disarm. The Israeli government has emphasized that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza before Hamas is disarmed and neutralized as a security threat.

While expressing understanding for Israel’s position, the Board of Peace has called for a phased withdrawal tied to verified disarmament.

Earlier this month, a BoP team in Gaza surveyed potential locations where Hamas operatives could surrender their weapons. Despite the significant challenges, there is cautious optimism that progress could follow Israel’s election.

“It’s not like we’re not moving. There is movement. There’s a lot going on, but maybe nothing that can be seen from the outside as ‘major movement’ before the elections,” one informed source said.