Key facts
- Kosovo officially signed the Board of Peace's agreement to join the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza on Monday.
- The Board of Peace stated Kosovo's deployed soldiers were involved in logistics, civil affairs, and clearing unexploded ordnance in Gaza.
- Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated Kosovo's participation was to help the people of Gaza, comparing it to the international intervention in Kosovo in 1999.
- Experts like Brunilda Pali argue the comparison between Kosovo's intervention and the Gaza situation is unconvincing, citing different humanitarian contexts and US credibility.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has found Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem unlawful, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.
- Eight UN experts described the Board of Peace as an "illegal and illegitimate manoeuvre" violating Palestinian self-determination.
Kosovo has officially joined the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza, a US-backed initiative associated with President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace." The agreement, signed on Monday, signifies Kosovo's commitment to the mission, which the Board of Peace described as a "landmark" event.
According to the Board of Peace, Kosovo had deployed soldiers to Israel earlier in the year, involved in planning logistics and civil affairs, and operating in Gaza to clear unexploded ordnance. Prime Minister Albin Kurti of Kosovo stated that his country was ready to participate and help the people of Gaza, drawing a parallel to the international forces that intervened in Kosovo in 1999 to halt ethnic cleansing.
However, this comparison has been met with skepticism. Brunilda Pali, an assistant professor of conflict dynamics at the University of Amsterdam, argued that the international intervention in Kosovo followed a clear genocidal war, a situation fundamentally different from Gaza. She also questioned the credibility of the US as a peacekeeper given its support for Israel.
Pali further warned that Kosovo's participation could expose its soldiers and government to significant legal and reputational risks, particularly if the deployment facilitates forced displacement or other internationally wrongful conduct. She noted that while Albanians welcomed international forces in 1999 for protection, the ISF's purpose in Gaza is viewed differently.
Eight independent UN experts have described the Board of Peace as an "illegal and illegitimate manoeuvre" that violates Palestinian self-determination and amounts to a colonial administration. Shpend Kursani, a lecturer at the University of Tartu, characterized the initiative as Trump's private endeavor with no international standing, distinct from UN efforts.
Kursani also noted that Kosovo, Albania, and Morocco were "carefully handpicked Muslim majority countries" by Israel to "sugarcoat" the deployment. Sidita Kushi, an assistant professor at Mount Holyoke College, suggested that Kosovo, with limited regional allies and facing potential US pressure, is prioritizing its alliance with the US for security and sovereignty, despite human rights considerations.