Albania formalizes role in Gaza force, Kosovo says troops ready to deploy amid delays

Albania finalized its participation agreement with the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, with liaison officers expected in November, the US-backed Board of Peace says. Kosovo's Defense Ministry tells The Times of Israel its troops are ready to deploy but await ISF readiness, including an explosive ordnance disposal team. No ISF operational deployment has taken place amid disputes over Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal sequencing.

Albania finalized its participation agreement with the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza over the weekend, with Albanian liaison officers expected to deploy to the region in November, according to a statement from the US-backed Board of Peace. The agreement was signed on Friday at a ceremony attended by ISF commander US Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers and senior Albanian defense officials, and commits Albania to providing "security operations support and operations planning capabilities" for the mission. The Board of Peace did not specify how many personnel Albania intends to contribute or when they might enter the Strip. Kosovo's Defense Ministry told The Times of Israel this week that it is ready to deploy troops to Gaza, but their arrival depends on the ISF's readiness to receive them. Its planned contribution includes an explosive ordnance disposal team, a contingent commander serving as liaison officer and additional staff personnel; the ministry did not state the total size of the contingent. "Kosovo's EOD team is ready and will deploy once ISF is prepared to receive it," the ministry said, adding that partner forces trained Kosovar personnel in May, following an April 26 reconnaissance visit to Gaza by a Kosovo Security Force team. Kosovo formally signed its participation agreement with the Board of Peace and ISF on September 7, joining Morocco, Kazakhstan and other countries that have committed troops. A Board of Peace official said last week that up to 500 Moroccan personnel have undergone ISF-led training since late August. No operational deployment has taken place. In July, Israel's security cabinet approved a legal framework for the limited entry of roughly 200 international troops, subject to further Israeli approval, and the Board has struggled to secure Israeli approval for elements including a proposed ISF base near the Yellow Line. Disagreements remain over the sequencing of Israeli withdrawals and reconstruction, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting Hamas must be fully disarmed and Gaza demilitarized first, while the Board pushes for a phased withdrawal tied to verified disarmament.