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Middle East conflict

International forces in Gaza to include troops from Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan

Egypt and Jordan have committed to train police

WASHINGTON, February 19. /TASS/. Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Morocco will contribute their troops to the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the Gaza Strip, said US Major General Jasper Jeffers, who is to head the ISF in Gaza.

"I'm incredibly pleased to announce today that the first five countries have committed troops to serve in the ISF [are] Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania," he said. "Two countries have committed to train police, Egypt and Jordan. I would also like to announce that I have offered and Indonesia has accepted the position of Deputy Commander for the ISF."

"Our plan is for the ISF to be assigned in five different sectors, each sector receiving one ISF brigade. In the short term, we plan to deploy to the Rafah sector first, in addition to the training of police. Midterm objective is to continue to expand sector by sector, all moving to our long term [goal of] 12,000 police and 20,000 ISF soldiers," Jeffers added.

In turn, Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov said 2,000 people have applied to join the transitional police force to be formed in Gaza under the leadership of the National Committee.

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