EU Mulls New Mission as UN Peacekeepers Prepare to Leave Lebanon

As the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon approaches its 2026 expiration, the European Union is exploring a three-year mixed military-civilian deployment to assist the Lebanese armed forces and police, focusing on border and maritime duties. The proposal, circulated by the European External Action Service, is intended to bolster state capacity rather than supplant UNIFIL, which historically could monitor but not enforce ceasefire terms.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed willingness to contribute but doubted support for a full replacement of the UN force. Scholars note that any European force would likely retain monitoring duties with limited combat authority, and could be hampered if Israel maintains its presence or if Hezbollah rejects negotiated pilot zones. Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General has offered alternative successor models involving 900 to 3,000 troops, far fewer than UNIFIL’s current strength. Analysts warn that without a comprehensive political agreement, a new European mission might repeat the shortcomings of its predecessor.