Jerusalem Post/Middle EastAn EU force could replace UNIFIL and prevent Hezbollah from returning to areas vacated by the IDF, Germany’s foreign minister said.Follow us on GoogleFlags, including a Lebanese flag and a United Nations (UN) flag, fly at a UN post in Lebanon, after Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement following US-mediated talks, as seen from northern Israel, June 27, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)ByREUTERSJULY 17, 2026 09:46Updated: JULY 17, 2026 09:57German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has proposed replacing the expiring UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon with an EU-mandated force to prevent a security vacuum, he told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland."We should examine in the EU whether we can ensure that no security vacuum arises with a European mandate following the UNIFIL mission," Wadephul said in an interview published on Friday.The UNIFIL mission expires on December 31, 2026. Germany's parliament extended the country's participation in the mission for the final time just weeks ago.Wadephul said Lebanon, with a stabilizing government, represented "one of the most hopeful developments in the region at the moment."Lebanon and Israel held ambassador-level talks at the US embassy in Rome on Tuesday and Wednesday — their sixth round of face-to-face negotiations since a ​new war erupted on March 2 between Israel and Lebanese armed group ​Hezbollah, triggered by the wider regional conflict.German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul leaves after making a statement to the press following a cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, June 24, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben)IDF withdrawal, end to Hezbollah terrorAn EU-mandated force could "create the conditions for the Israeli army to withdraw without Hezbollah returning with its terror," the minister added.The proposal comes as European nations seek to maintain regional stability while balancing relations with Israel and Lebanon.Follow us on Google