Germany has proposed replacing the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon with a European Union-mandated force once the current UN mission expires at the end of 2026.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the EU should examine whether it could assume responsibility for maintaining stability after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) concludes its mandate on December 31, 2026.
“We should examine in the EU whether we can ensure that no security vacuum arises with a European mandate following the UNIFIL mission,” Wadephul said in an interview published on Friday by RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland.
The proposal comes only weeks after Germany’s parliament approved what Wadephul described as the country’s final extension of participation in the UN peacekeeping mission.
Wadephul said Lebanon currently represents “one of the most hopeful developments in the region,” pointing to the country’s stabilizing government.
His proposal also follows the sixth round of face-to-face ambassador-level talks between Lebanon and Israel, held at the U.S. embassy in Rome on Tuesday and Wednesday. The negotiations come after a new war between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah erupted on March 2, driven by the broader regional conflict.
According to Wadephul, an EU-led mission could help create the conditions for the Israeli military to withdraw from southern Lebanon while preventing Hezbollah from returning.
“An EU-mandated force could create the conditions for the Israeli army to withdraw without Hezbollah returning with its terror,” he said.
