Germany Pledges Continued Backing for Lebanon as UN Peacekeeping Mission Nears End

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA

Germany moved Monday to reassure Lebanon that its support will continue even after Berlin withdraws its troops from a long-running United Nations peacekeeping mission along the country’s southern border with Israel.

Speaking at a joint news conference at the presidential palace near Beirut, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Germany would remain committed to strengthening Lebanese state institutions once the mandate of the multinational force expires at the end of 2026. His remarks came during an official visit aimed at reinforcing bilateral ties at a time when Lebanon is grappling with the aftermath of a devastating war and prolonged economic crisis.

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, was first deployed in 1978 and has since played a central role in monitoring hostilities and maintaining a fragile calm along the Lebanon-Israel border. The force currently includes about 7,500 peacekeepers from multiple countries, among them 179 German personnel.

Germany’s contribution has primarily involved naval units tasked with preventing arms smuggling by sea and assisting the Lebanese army in monitoring maritime borders. While Berlin is expected to withdraw its troops when the mission concludes, Steinmeier emphasized that Germany’s broader engagement with Lebanon would not end.

“After the end of UNIFIL’s mission, Germany will stay by the side of your country to boost state authority,” Steinmeier said, without detailing the exact structure of future cooperation. He noted that Germany’s navy is already involved in training Lebanese forces as they expand their deployment in southern Lebanon following the 14-month conflict between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.

Lebanese officials have repeatedly expressed concern about a potential security vacuum once the peacekeepers depart. In recent months, Beirut has floated the possibility of a follow-up mechanism to ensure stability in the south, a region that has historically served as a flashpoint for cross-border confrontations.

Steinmeier underscored the importance of strengthening Lebanon’s national institutions, particularly the armed forces. “The Lebanese Armed Forces are, of course, the backbone of stability in Lebanon,” he said, adding that discussions are needed on how to reinforce the army’s capabilities after the peacekeeping mandate concludes.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, appearing alongside Steinmeier, said his country had paid a heavy price during the most recent war with Israel. The conflict erupted after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel a day after the Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, an assault that triggered the war in Gaza.

Israel responded with months of escalating airstrikes and later launched a ground operation in September 2024 that significantly weakened Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, and inflicted an estimated $11 billion in damage, according to World Bank assessments. On the Israeli side, 127 people were killed, including 80 soldiers.

“We were forced to live through violent conflicts we did not choose and we bore their burdens. We are no longer able to do so,” Aoun said, reflecting widespread war fatigue within Lebanon.

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached in November 2024 halted the fighting and included provisions aimed at the gradual disarmament of Hezbollah and the strengthening of Lebanese state authority in the south. Steinmeier said the process of disarming non-state armed groups should continue and called for Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanese territory in line with the truce arrangements.

Aoun said he had asked Germany to assume a “main role” after UNIFIL’s departure and to use its diplomatic influence to press Israel to adhere fully to the ceasefire and pull back from contested areas. He did not elaborate on what role Berlin might take or address the sensitive issue of Hezbollah’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The future of security arrangements along the Lebanon-Israel border remains uncertain. UN peacekeepers have frequently reported harassment and operational challenges, while the Lebanese army has begun taking on a larger presence in areas once dominated by Hezbollah.

For Germany, the shift signals a recalibration rather than a retreat. Berlin appears intent on transitioning from a military footprint under a U.N. mandate to a more direct partnership focused on training, institutional support and diplomatic engagement. Whether that approach will be sufficient to stabilize southern Lebanon once international peacekeepers depart will depend largely on the durability of the ceasefire and the Lebanese state’s ability to assert authority over its territory after decades of conflict.