EU approves a support mission in Lebanon as UNIFIL's mandate nears its end

⏱️ Timeline

1. 8 Oct 2026, 12:36 President Joseph Aoun received EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and affirmed Lebanon's aspiration to sign a strategic partnership with the EU and the link between Lebanon's stability and that of Europe and the region. He said the Lebanese Army is fully carrying out its duties in the areas where it deployed south of the Litani in implementation of the framework agreement, while Israel still refrains from implementing its provisions, considering that negotiation is an alternative to war and that the agreement is the only means to end the state of hostility with Israel, and stressing that any force replacing UNIFIL must operate under the United Nations flag.
2. 8 Oct 2026, 13:17 At a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji at the Foreign Ministry, Kaja Kallas affirmed that Lebanon must extend its control over all its territory and disarm Hezbollah, linked Lebanon's security to the transitional process in Syria, said it is in the EU's interest that Lebanon enjoy sovereignty, and called for an international presence in southern Lebanon to preserve security and stability, noting that talks are ongoing about the format of this presence. Rajji welcomed the decision to create a European mission within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy, and Kallas confirmed that the European mission will train the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces.
3. 8 Oct 2026, 15:39 EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced from Beirut that EU countries support extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) as its mission nears its end, saying no security vacuum can be allowed in the south and affirming the EU's readiness to provide assistance to Lebanon, especially to the army and the Internal Security Forces. Her talks with Lebanese officials covered the negotiations file and the international force that might replace UNIFIL.
4. 8 Oct 2026, 16:30 Lebanon welcomed the EU decision to establish a mission in the country within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy, and Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, at a joint press conference with Kallas in Beirut, said Lebanon counts on European support for the decision to restrict arms to the state, end the Israeli occupation and implement Resolution 1701. Kallas said EU foreign ministers are expected to approve the establishment of the mission next Monday.
5. 9 Oct 2026, 12:11 A European diplomat said the EU had received an official request from Lebanon to deploy the European security mission, noting that EU foreign ministers will endorse the deployment of this mission in Lebanon on Monday.
6. 9 Oct 2026, 17:20 EU High Representative Kaja Kallas announced from Beirut that EU foreign ministers will approve next Monday the establishment of a training and advisory mission for the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces, stressing that it will not replace UNIFIL and will be consistent with Resolution 1701, while the EU allocated 505 million euros for Lebanon for 2026 and 2027.
7. 10 Oct 2026, 01:30 The European Commission is moving toward establishing a new military and civilian mission in Lebanon comprising about 100 personnel, alongside preparations for the possible end of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission at the end of 2026. France and Italy are competing to lead the mission, which will focus on training the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces and supporting administration and police security at Beirut port, with most of its members expected to be based in Beirut and no forces deployed in southern Lebanon.
8. 11 Oct 2026, 07:56 EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg are discussing the establishment of a European civilian and military mission in Lebanon to train the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces, without replacing UNIFIL. The EU believes the end of UNIFIL's mandate in December requires a continued international presence, while the United States insists on ending or scaling back the mission; this coincides with the Security Council's consideration of the Secretary-General's report on Resolution 1559.
9. 12 Oct 2026, 15:24 EU countries agreed to launch a new mission in Lebanon to train the army and security forces for at least three years, while Sweden has not yet decided on its participation. The mission comes as the United Nations prepares to end the UNIFIL mission by the end of 2026.
10. 13 Oct 2026, 13:57 The EU Council approved the establishment of a new security mission in Lebanon under the name "EU Support Mission in Lebanon" with an initial three-year mandate, as UNIFIL operations approach their end later this year. The mission aims to strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces in monitoring, training and counter-smuggling, but it does not constitute a substitute for the UN force and does not carry out peacekeeping tasks; the date of its field launch has not yet been decided.
11. 14 Oct 2026, 15:25 The EU Council approved the establishment of the "EU Support Mission in Lebanon" for an initial three-year mandate, comprising a military component to train the Lebanese Army in border monitoring, reconnaissance and operational coordination, and a civilian component to support the Internal Security Forces in countering smuggling and cybercrime and strengthening port security, including Beirut port. A Lebanese ministerial source said the mission will not be a substitute for UNIFIL and will not carry out direct security tasks or border monitoring.
12. 15 Oct 2026, 11:12 France is betting on the new European support mission in Lebanon to ease the security burden on the Lebanese Army as UNIFIL's mandate nears its end on 31 December. The mission consists of a military and a civilian component and aims to train the army and the Internal Security Forces in border and maritime security and counter-drone operations, deploying for at least three years and starting north of the Litani River, with the possibility of moving part of its activities to the south with the approval of the Lebanese government.
13. 15 Oct 2026, 12:40 Cyprus offered to host an operations center for the new European mission in Lebanon.
14. 16 Oct 2026, 07:24 A report said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, during her visit to Beirut this month, proposed to Lebanese officials a trade-off involving the creation of a European training mission for the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces in exchange for what it described as "serious commitments from the Lebanese government regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah." The proposal was interpreted as meaning the mission's task could extend to strengthening the security agencies' capabilities in the field of disarmament.
15. 16 Oct 2026, 13:23 New security arrangements for Lebanon are taking shape in Paris and Brussels as UNIFIL's mandate nears its end on 31 December, along two tracks: a European mission to strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces for at least three years, and a French-Italian initiative to form a coalition of states able to keep military forces on Lebanese soil. The French side stresses that neither initiative constitutes a direct substitute for UNIFIL.

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