Albania Joins International Stabilization Force for Gaza Deployment

Albania signed an official agreement on October 24, 2026, to join the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza. The signing ceremony took place at the General Staff Headquarters of the Albanian Armed Forces in Tirana, where Chief of the General Staff Arben Kingji and ISF Commander Jasper Jeffers formalized the deal in the presence of U.S. Ambassador Eric Wendt.

Albania becomes the third nation to commit troops to the ISF, following Morocco and Kosovo. The mission is managed by the Board of Peace, an international organization chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump and established under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803 as a transitional governing body. Defense Minister Ermal Nufi stated the move reaffirms Albania's commitment to establishing conditions for lasting stability in the region.

Despite the agreement, actual deployment remains stalled by Israeli domestic politics ahead of the October 27 election. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that no external forces will enter the Gaza Strip until terrorist groups disarm. While some Israeli ministers have called for the revocation of the decision to allow the ISF into the territory, U.S. Special Envoy Jared Kushner has urged Israel to take interim steps to advance the peace plan.