Lebanon braces for UNIFIL exit as Germany signals continued role amid shifting security landscape

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

Eight years after his first visit, Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, returns to a changed Beirut as southern Lebanon faces a new security reality.

At Baabda Palace, Steinmeier was received with official honors before holding talks with President Joseph Aoun. The discussions come as Lebanon approaches a pivotal phase: the end of UNIFIL's mandate at the end of this year and the start of a phased withdrawal the following year.

At a joint news conference, Steinmeier delivered a direct political message, saying that after the end of UNIFIL’s mission, Germany would remain at Lebanon’s side to help strengthen the Lebanese state’s monopoly over the use of force through the army and armed forces.

Sources at Baabda Palace told LBCI that no specific mechanism was discussed regarding how Germany might continue to participate after its troops complete their mission under UNIFIL. Other countries, including France and Italy, have expressed a desire to remain in Lebanon, a matter that will be discussed soon, according to the sources.

Behind the official language lies a more complex reality: a fragile ceasefire and field violations that the United Nations says endanger its troops and violate U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. In that context, Steinmeier reiterated his call for adherence to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, stressing the need for the group’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

Berlin’s position on Germany’s presence in the south, disarmament, and Israeli withdrawal was also conveyed during Steinmeier’s meetings with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He later visited the Port of Beirut, where he met with the German naval contingent operating under UNIFIL, before heading on Wednesday to Jordan as part of his Middle East tour.

In Beirut, a key question remains: Who will fill the vacuum in the south after UNIFIL? The emerging answer points to the Lebanese army, but under two conditions — genuine international support and a ceasefire that is respected on the ground.

Steinmeier’s visit carries more than one message. Security in the south is not solely a Lebanese issue; it is also a test for the state, for the international community, and for the fragile truce along the border.