Kosovo’s government decided on Friday to allocate funds for Palestinians in Gaza, in what could be the last government meeting before the end of its four-year term, and just nine days before Kosovo voters head to polls to elect a new parliament.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti told his cabinet during the government meeting that there is an urgent need for humanitarian aid because of the consequences of the war. He called for the ceasefire to be a “foundation for achieving lasting peace.”

“As a government, we welcome the ceasefire agreement reached in Gaza, which, in its first phase, allows for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. For this purpose, the government of the Republic of Kosovo will allocate 500,000 euros to support the Palestinian population in Gaza,”  Kurti said.

Kosovo and Palestine do not have diplomatic relations as they do not recognise each other as independent states. 

In November 2023, a few weeks after the conflict in Gaza erupted, Rabii Al Hantouli, the Palestinian Ambassador to Montenegro, gave no indication that the State of Palestine would change its position toward Kosovo.

He told BIRN that Palestine supports the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 1999, which made Kosovo a ward of the UN after the withdrawal of Serbian forces.

Al Hantouli said that there had been “some contact” between Palestine and Kosovo, but that everything was cut off in September 2020 when Kosovo, under a deal pressed by Us President Doland Trump, decided to open its embassy in Israel in Jerusalem, not Tel Aviv, in exchange for Israeli recognition.

Additionally, in June 2024, Israel granted visa-free travel to Kosovo citizens.

“This is only the latest in a series of agreements between our two states, demonstrating our close cooperation across multiple sectors,” Kurti wrote on X at the time.

However, despite Palestine’s position on Kosovo, Kosovar citizens have organised marches to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, not only in response to the recent violence in 2023 but also in 2021.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was reached on January 15, 2025. The deal includes provisions for the release of hostages taken by Hamas, on October 7, 2023, as well as the release of a significant number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The conflict in Gaza erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people—most of whom were civilians, and kidnapping around 250 others. In response, Israel carried out a large-scale military offensive in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 47,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.