Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) has proposed replacing the winding-down UN stabilization mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with a force operating under an European Union mandate. Wadephul told the German Editorial Network that the EU must examine how it can ensure that a security vacuum does not develop following the conclusion of UNIFIL.
He noted that, with its increasingly stabilizing government, Lebanon is currently experiencing one of the most hopeful developments in the region. Wadephul stressed that Europeans must take all necessary actions to ensure this positive process continues. According to the minister, an EU-mandated force would “create the prerequisite for the Israeli army to withdraw without Hezbollah returning with its terror.”
The current UNIFIL mission is set to expire on December 31, 2026. In the context of the transition, the German Bundestag recently extended its mandate for participation in the mission for a final time.
