Can Europe fill vacuum left in Lebanon as UN peacekeeping force winds up?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that debate is growing over who, if anyone, could help fill a security gap in southern Lebanon as the long-running UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL approaches the end of its mandate on December 31. The article says EU officials are considering a possible three-year military and civilian mission that would advise and train Lebanon’s armed forces and internal security forces, with a focus on border and maritime security. The idea is framed as support for Lebanese institutions rather than a direct replacement for UNIFIL.

UNIFIL was created in 1978 and later expanded after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, but it has been limited to monitoring and reporting rather than enforcement. Al Jazeera notes that analysts and former peacekeepers say any new European force would likely face similar constraints unless it had a broader political agreement and clear rules accepted by both Israel and Lebanon. The piece also says the UN has its own succession options under discussion, including a smaller residual role or a reduced troop presence.

The report highlights concern that a gap in international oversight could benefit Israel, especially if no successor is ready when UNIFIL ends. Lebanese academic and human-rights voices cited by Al Jazeera warn that, without a settlement, temporary arrangements could harden into a more permanent security model based on direct coordination between the Lebanese army and Israeli forces, rather than international supervision.