Albania’s Parliament approves the deployment of up to 40 troops to Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force

Albania’s Parliament approved on Thursday the deployment of up to 40 troops to the Gaza Strip as part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), an initiative backed by U.S. President Donald Trump for the postwar period in the Palestinian enclave.

The motion proposed by Tirana’s socialist government was adopted with the votes of all 106 lawmakers present, out of a total of 140. The Albanian contingent is expected to help guarantee security, monitor Hamas’s disarmament and support the reconstruction process.

The ISF is part of the “Board of Peace” plan, which provides for oversight of the post-conflict transition between Israel and Hamas. The first foreign troops, from Morocco, joined the operation in June, but were deployed at an Israeli headquarters in the south of the country, not inside the Gaza Strip.

Uganda authorized the deployment of its own contingent in August, while Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Kosovo have also announced contributions. Hamas accepted the 15-point road map in July but conditioned its implementation on Israel honoring its commitments. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the plan and ruled out Israel’s withdrawal before Hamas’s complete disarmament. The conflict began after the October 7, 2023, attack, which left approximately 1,200 people dead in Israel and 250 hostages.