Germany's Foreign Minister Proposes Sending an EU Mission to Replace UN Forces in Lebanon

SadaNews - German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has proposed deploying a force under a European mandate as an alternative to the United Nations mission in Lebanon, which is set to conclude its mission by the end of this year, according to the "German News Agency."

The minister said in statements to the "Deutschland" media network that "we in the European Union should explore whether we can ensure that there is no security vacuum after the UNIFIL mission ends through a European mandate," adding that this could create conditions for the withdrawal of the Israeli army "without the return of Hezbollah and its terrorism."

Wadephul stated: "In Lebanon, where the government is experiencing increasing stability, there is currently one of the most hopeful developments in the region... We Europeans must do everything we can to ensure that this process continues positively."

The United Nations Security Council decided in August 2025 to completely terminate the UNIFIL mission. This mission began in 1978 to monitor the border area between Israel and Lebanon. Following its conclusion, the Lebanese army is expected to take control. The German armed forces participate in UNIFIL, with the German navy helping to prevent arms smuggling in the maritime area off Lebanon and training the Lebanese navy.

France and Italy announced at the end of June that they would support launching a new support mission for the war-torn country after the UN mission concludes. French President Emmanuel Macron clarified that the nature of the mandate that this new mission could obtain remains unclear from his perspective. The European Union is already planning a support mission for the armed forces and police in Lebanon, which is intended to be both military and civilian and last for at least three years.

For the first time in decades, the Lebanese and Israeli governments are holding direct political talks aimed at reinforcing the ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed "Hezbollah." Despite the ceasefire, frequent attacks between Israel and Hezbollah still occur. Israel continues to maintain its forces in the neighboring country, which it considers the "security zone" under its control to be an illegal occupation according to international law.