Shala: Kosovo went from a security beneficiary to a contributor through the US mission in Gaza

Kosovo has formalized its participation in the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza after signing an agreement to join the states that have undertaken to contribute to this international mission.

The document was signed by the commander of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari, and the American commander of the ISF, Major General Jasper Jeffers.

This commitment comes at a time when Kosovo is seeking to expand its role in international security. Security expert Dirzan Shala told “Bota sot” that the importance of the involvement is linked not only to the formal act of signing, but also to the contribution KSF personnel had been making for months.

“Kosovo’s involvement is more concrete and more limited than the usual meaning of the term ‘reliable ally’. It sent personnel and expertise to a US-led mission at a time when the mission was facing political and operational uncertainty. Kosovo then kept its personnel in the mission for five months, even though the force did not enter Gaza. For this reason, the signing on September 7 did not mark a new commitment, but formalized a decision that had already been implemented,” Shala said.

According to him, Kosovo’s contribution to the ISF began before the agreement was signed, as KSF personnel had been involved in the mission’s work since the beginning of spring.

“The signing was the final step, while Kosovar officers had already been working in this direction for several months. This chronology is also reflected in the relevant document. The statement published in Pristina by the International Stabilization Force on September 7 begins by announcing the signing of the Participating States Agreement, while four paragraphs later it mentions that, since the beginning of spring, KSF personnel had been deployed at the ISF headquarters and were leading planning in logistics, civil affairs and unexploded ordnance clearance operations. So, the document was signed in September, but the work had begun in March or April,” he assessed.

Shala considers this involvement an indication of a transformation in the way Kosovo contributes to security.

“For a long time, Kosovo has been a consumer of security, as NATO countries have helped guarantee the security of the Republic of Kosovo. Now we are moving into another phase, in which we are becoming providers, or exporters, of security,” the expert said.

He also emphasized that Kosovo has already fulfilled its part of the commitment to the ISF. According to Shala, the decision on a possible deployment of the force on the ground will be determined by the international mission itself.

“Kosovo contributed personnel and expertise to an American mission facing political difficulties and operational uncertainties, keeping its personnel engaged for five months while the force did not enter Gaza. The signing on September 7 merely formalized a decision implemented earlier. If the ISF ever decides to enter Rafah, that does not depend on Kosovo. Kosovo has carried out the task it was given,” Shala concluded.