EU considers military mission to replace UN peacekeepers in South Lebanon

With the UN peacekeeping mandate in southern Lebanon set to expire at the end of 2026, the EU is considering a military and civilian mission to train the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces. While the EU is willing to support the LAF, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed doubts about the appetite for a new European mission to fully replace UNIFIL. Established in 1978, UNIFIL's mandate has been expanded multiple times but has never had the power to enforce its decisions.