Germany To Extend UNIFIL Naval Mission For Final Time Through Mid-2027

BERLIN, May 7 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Germany’s Cabinet decided on a final extension of its armed forces’ participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a deputy government spokesperson said Wednesday, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

“The operational mission will continue until Dec 31, 2026, and will then transition into an orderly winding-down phase over the following six months.

“The mandate is thus to be extended in total until June 30, 2027,” Sebastian Hille told reporters in Berlin.

UNIFIL, which was launched to monitor the Israel-Lebanon border area, involves 10,000 troops from various nations.

The UN Security Council decided in August 2025 to end the mission, after which the Lebanese army is to assume control.

Germany’s UNIFIL contribution includes the frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen.

Nearly 200 troops are aboard the vessel, with about 30 more stationed ashore at the UNIFIL headquarters in southern Lebanon.

After the Cabinet’s decision Wednesday, the extension must still be approved by parliament, which has the final say on overseas troop deployments.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU