KSF in Gaza: A genuine mission, a propaganda move, or the final phase of building Kosovo’s army?

The participation of members of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) in the planned mission in Gaza is something that should help secure international legitimacy for Kosovo. However, it cannot be ruled out that this is also a propaganda move and political maneuvering among the main political actors in Pristina, according to interlocutors of Kosovo Online.

Written by: Veljko Nestorovic

At this moment, the announced mission in Gaza—not only of KFS members, but also of the armed forces of Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, and Kazakhstan—remains uncertain, primarily due to the current developments in the Middle East, namely the armed conflicts that began with the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran.

Tehran subsequently retaliated, primarily with drones and ballistic missiles, and a British base in Cyprus was also reportedly targeted.

As a result, the mission in Gaza may have to “wait” until the end of the hostilities involving Iran, since it is unlikely that Kosovo, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Morocco would be willing to offer their soldiers as potential targets in a conflict that is escalating by the day.

KFS members have previously participated in missions with the United States in Iraq, as well as with the United Kingdom in the Falkland Islands. This time, however, in the planned peace mission in Gaza, it remains to be seen whether it will again involve only a handful of KFS members or a larger contingent.

Political analyst Armend Demaku told Kosovo Online that, when it comes to such missions, “Kosovo’s army has the capacity.”

“I believe Kosovo should be supported by the Trump administration and that, in this case, it would not have to pay. It is important for the Government to adopt a decision guaranteeing this mission, which undoubtedly holds significance for Kosovo, particularly in the security context,” Demaku said.

Nevertheless, Demaku sees a potential issue in sending KFS members to Gaza.

“However, Mr. Kurti tends to create institutional blockages at decisive moments, and it would be better if this time he acted more rationally in matters that are in the country’s interest and set aside populism, which may win him votes from a dysfunctional segment of society but isolates Kosovo and delays it in the integration processes.”

Geopolitical and security consultant Nikola Lunic explains that, unlike the Board for Peace, which now officially has 25 members, participation in international stabilization forces has been confirmed by those who wished to make their forces internationally visible.

“Unfortunately, no one is volunteering to be part of that mission for the sake of Gaza itself, or for peace. They are participating for geopolitical interests and for visibility. Specifically, Kosovo applied in order to confirm its strategic partnership with the United States and to secure international legitimacy,” Lunic said, adding that all this suggests that the mission in Gaza would not be humanitarian but geopolitical in nature.

He further noted that the mission entails relatively low risk and relatively low costs, but offers significant potential political gain.

“The scope of KFS forces will be as large as Washington requires. KFS and Pristina are not in a position to allocate substantial funds for participation in a mission in Gaza, but they rely on logistical support from allies, primarily the United States. Accordingly, they will provide as many troops as Washington demands, in line with their objectives,” he stated.

Regarding how KFS members would be received by the local population in Gaza, as well as by Israel, Lunic said he is uncertain whether Israel would look favorably upon attempts by certain Islamic countries to infiltrate, in some way, the life and coexistence in Gaza.

The Director of the Kosovo Center for Security Studies, Mentor Vrajolli, believes that participation in peace missions is necessary for Kosovo, while the head of the Oktopus Institute, Arben Fetosi, views the announced engagement of KFS in Gaza as a strategic message in the context of current geopolitical developments.

Fetosi assessed that the inclusion of KFS in the mission in Gaza is not only confirmation of its capacity to contribute, but also a very important strategic message in the context of international relations and ongoing geopolitical conflicts worldwide.

Security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic, however, believes that Kosovo lacks the capacity to participate in a mission in Gaza and that this is merely a propaganda move.

Vujinovic told Kosovo Online that Gaza remains a war zone, where people are dying daily. Therefore, at this moment, it would be a mission of peace enforcement rather than peacekeeping, and for that KFS does not have the necessary capacity.

“Kosovo is itself a territory where foreign troops are enforcing peace, so this is all a propaganda trick and something the United States requested from all members of the Board for Peace. Any role for KFS would be illegal and illegitimate, and would likely be reduced to a few observers rather than 200 to 300 personnel with accompanying equipment,” Vujinovic said.

He further stated that such behavior by the Albanian political elite is highly irresponsible for another reason as well.

“Palestinians and the broader Arab world view Gaza as a site of genocide committed by the State of Israel, and they see Albanians as close allies of Israel, which recently recognized Kosovo. As such, they would become an unnecessary target for attacks by various terrorist organizations if KFS were ever deployed on the ground. We do not know whether this mission will even take place. Nothing is happening on the ground yet, so everything remains highly uncertain. Whether this is part of a political campaign ahead of Kosovo’s presidential election or positioning toward Trump, we shall see,” Vujinovic said.

He reiterated that KFS does not have the capacity to enforce peace or export security.

Citizens of Pristina, however, largely view the announced participation of KFS members in the mission in Gaza as the fulfillment of a moral and international obligation.

“It is very positive for us; it is good progress for Kosovo. The soldiers are ready and I think they will succeed. We have an obligation to return the favor to the international community,” said Sabit Blaca from Pristina.