KSF sends a team to Gaza to assess the location where it will operate as part of the peacekeeping mission

2026-04-26 11:48:31, Kosova & Bota CNA

KSF sends a team to Gaza to assess the location where it will operate as part of

Kosovo has sent a team of its Security Force (SFK) to the Gaza Strip to conduct an assessment of the location where Kosovo troops are expected to operate as part of an international force in the Palestinian territory, the FSK announced on Sunday.

The Kosovo Assembly overwhelmingly approved on April 17 the Government's previous decision to send troops to the International Stabilization Force (ISSF), as part of the United States-backed initiative, following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last year.

Hamas is a militant group designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union.

"The Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari, has sent a KSF team to Gaza to conduct reconnaissance of the area where the KSF troops will operate," a KSF statement said.

The team will conduct preliminary assessments and coordinate activities related to the relocation of KSF troops, which will operate within the peacekeeping mission of the UN Security Council, which is a mechanism established as part of the so-called Peace Board initiative by US President Donald Trump to achieve world peace.

The KSF, in its Facebook announcement, did not indicate when the team traveled to Gaza, nor how long the field assessment will last.

The International Stabilization Force has not yet been deployed to Gaza to help maintain peace, as well as to rebuild the devastated Palestinian territory, in accordance with the Peace Board.

According to reports by Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the mission is expected to begin its deployment in Gaza in May, including dozens of soldiers from Kosovo, although institutions in Pristina have not officially confirmed this deadline.

Kosovo is among the first five states – along with Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Albania – that have pledged to engage in this mission.

Kosovo's Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, said earlier that the Kosovo contingent will consist of several dozen officers, including a demining unit.

According to him, the troops will have tasks to provide humanitarian aid, security assistance and other tasks determined by the force's mandate for Gaza.

In addition to authorizing the deployment of troops, the Assembly must also approve the agreement for Kosovo's membership in the Peace Board.

The KSF has around 4,000 members and is in the process of transforming into a fully professional army by 2028./Rel