Germany’s foreign minister proposed Friday deploying a European Union military force as an alternative to the UN mission in Lebanon. The proposal would replace UNIFIL, which has operated in the area since 1978 and is set to end its mission at the end of this year.
1+The German official spoke to media network Deutschland: “We in the European Union must examine whether we can ensure that a security vacuum is not created after UNIFIL’s mission ends. This could create the conditions for an Israeli military withdrawal—without Hezbollah returning with its terror. We Europeans must do everything in our power to ensure this process continues in a positive way.”
It’s unclear how familiar the German minister actually is with the details of the situation on the ground. As part of his remarks, the official chose to emphasize that, “the Lebanese government is experiencing growing stability.” This comes at a time when the Lebanese government includes ministers from the terror organizations Hezbollah and the Amal movement—making it difficult for the government to make meaningful decisions against those same organizations that hold political power.
1+The UN Security Council decided in August 2025 to completely end UNIFIL’s mission. Once completed, the Lebanese army is supposed to take control, with Israel first conducting a pilot program in which Israeli forces will evacuate just two areas of the security zone to the Lebanese army. According to Reuters, Germany’s armed forces also participate in UNIFIL, with the German navy assisting in the maritime space off Lebanon’s coast to prevent weapons smuggling and train the Lebanese navy.
The German minister’s statement comes after another round of talks between Israel and Lebanon this week. As of now, no significant breakthrough has emerged from the talks. Lebanon remains determined to accelerate Israel’s withdrawal from the south of the country, while Israel continues to make clear that no full withdrawal will take place as long as Hezbollah holds weapons in the area.