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Kosovo signed a formal agreement Sunday to become a participating country in the International Stabilization Force (ISF), the multinational body tasked with securing Gaza under the ceasefire framework brokered by the United States, cementing a role the small Balkan nation has played informally since the spring.
The signing ceremony, held in Pristina, brought together representatives of the Republic of Kosovo, the Board of Peace and the ISF to finalize what organizers called the Participating Country Agreement.
Kosovo's Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, signed on behalf of his government, joined by Lt. Gen. Bashkim Jashari, commander of the Kosovo Security Force, and Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, commander of the ISF.
According to the Board of Peace and the ISF, Kosovo's formal accession codifies a relationship that predates Sunday's ceremony.
Kosovo Security Force personnel have been deployed at ISF headquarters since early spring, the organizations said, where they have taken leading roles in logistics planning, civil affairs coordination and the clearance of unexploded ordnance.
Officials described those contributions as integral to ISF operations and to the broader effort to make Gaza secure enough for reconstruction to proceed.
The ISF was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted in November 2025, which endorsed the creation of the Board of Peace and authorized it, along with participating member states, to stand up a temporary stabilization force for Gaza.
The force operates under the Board's oversight and is central to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect in October 2025. Its mandate, as laid out by the Board, includes helping secure and demilitarize Gaza, protecting civilians and supporting the training of Palestinian police forces.
Kosovo is one of several countries that have moved to commit personnel to the force. Other nations that have been named in connection with prospective ISF deployments include Albania, Morocco and Kazakhstan.
Israel's government approved the entry of ISF troops into Gaza in July, envisioning an initial deployment of up to 200 personnel.
The Board of Peace and the ISF said in Sunday's statement that they extend their "profound gratitude" to Kosovo for its "strong and constant commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East."
The organizations added that Kosovo's involvement underscores the country's support for the objectives laid out in President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for ending the Gaza conflict, which forms the basis of the broader ceasefire and reconstruction effort.
The Board of Peace and the ISF said that as efforts advance toward full implementation of the ceasefire, they remain focused on fostering security and stability for the people of Gaza, Israel and the region.
Officials framed Sunday's agreement as part of continued international cooperation aimed at establishing the conditions needed for what they called Gaza's long-term, comprehensive recovery.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, has in recent years sought to position its security forces as contributors to international peacekeeping missions as part of its broader push for global recognition and integration into Western institutions.
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