EU Plans Lebanon Security Mission Ahead of UNIFIL Exit

The European Union plans a training and advisory mission to support Lebanon’s armed forces and Internal Security Forces, a proposal that would not replace the United Nations peacekeeping force whose mandate is due to end this year. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas outlined the mission during a visit to Beirut on October 8. She said EU foreign ministers were expected to formally establish it on October 12, 2026. The decision remains pending; the mission has not yet been formally established. Kallas said the mission would advise and assist Lebanon’s security institutions with territorial control, border security and internal security, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. She said it would cover Lebanon beyond the south, distinguishing its planned work from that of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL. The UN Security Council set December 31, 2026, as the end of UNIFIL’s mandate. An orderly withdrawal is expected to continue through 2027, with most uniformed personnel due to leave by midyear.