Germany proposes to replace UNIFIL with EU-led force to prevent security vacuum

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has suggested that the European Union explore deploying its own mandated force in Lebanon once the current UN peacekeeping mission concludes, aiming to avoid any security gaps, according to comments made to RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland.

"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 released on Friday.

The UNIFIL mandate is due to end on December 31, 2026. Germany's parliament approved the country's final extension of participation in the mission only weeks earlier.

Wadephul described Lebanon, now under a stabilizing government, as "one of the most hopeful developments in the region at the moment."

Lebanon and Israel conducted ambassador-level discussions at the US embassy in Rome on Tuesday and Wednesday. These marked the sixth round of direct talks since the new conflict with Hezbollah began on March 2 amid the broader regional tensions.

IDF withdrawal, end to Hezbollah terror

An EU-mandated force could "create the conditions for the Israeli army to withdraw without Hezbollah returning with its terror," the minister noted.

The idea emerges as European countries work to preserve stability in the area while managing ties with both Israel and Lebanon.

Israeli forces currently hold a buffer zone roughly 10 km into southern Lebanon along the border to strengthen defenses against Hezbollah.

Lebanon and Israel restarted negotiations in Rome this week, with Beirut seeking progress on an Israeli pullback from the south under a US-mediated arrangement, though quick results appear unlikely.

US-led diplomatic efforts have continued since Hezbollah and Israel resumed fighting on March 2 as part of the wider conflict, advancing despite resistance from the Iran-backed group, which insists only Iranian influence on Washington can bring an end to hostilities and secure withdrawal.

Iran had called for a halt to the Lebanon war as part of its interim agreement with Washington reached last month, yet that pact has faced strain from fresh US-Iran clashes in the Gulf over the past week.