Germany has floated the idea of establishing a European Union-led force to take over key stabilisation tasks in southern Lebanon once the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires at the end of 2026, according to diplomatic sources and discussions in Brussels.
While not advocating a direct one-to-one replacement of the UN peacekeeping mission, German officials have signalled support for a complementary EU mission focused on training and capacity-building for the Lebanese Armed Forces and security services, potentially including border and maritime security components.
This aligns with broader EU deliberations, led in part by Italy and France, on post-UNIFIL arrangements to prevent a security vacuum along the Blue Line with Israel.
“We should examine in the EU whether we can continue to do so in the wake of the mission with a European mandate to ensure that no security vacuum is created,” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
This could create the prerequisite for the Israeli army to withdraw “without Hezbollah returning with its terror.”
He said that Lebanon is currently facing “one of the most hopeful developments in the region”.
A force with an EU mandate could, according to Wadephul , “create the conditions for the Israeli army to without Hezbollah returning with its terror.”
The proposal comes as Berlin winds down its own long-standing contribution to UNIFIL, with the Bundeswehr set to conclude its operational role by December 2026 and fully withdraw by mid-2027.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has acknowledged the need for “a complementary initiative” after UNIFIL’s exit, with ministers discussing options that would differ markedly from traditional peacekeeping by emphasising advisory and training roles rather than large-scale troop deployments south of the Litani River.
Any such mission would require unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states and would operate under a non-executive framework.
Berlin views the initiative as a way to bolster Lebanese state institutions and support the 2024 ceasefire, while avoiding the operational risks that have plagued UNIFIL in recent years.
Discussions remain at an early stage, with formal decisions expected in the coming months as the UN drawdown accelerates.
The UNIFIL mission expires on December 31, 2026. Germany’s parliament extended the country’s participation in the mission for the final time just weeks ago.
At least 7 UN peacekeepers have been killed in 2026, all while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) amid renewed hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated in early March.
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