The European Union is actively evaluating joint initiatives to stabilise southern Lebanon following the scheduled end of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday, 28 May. Speaking on the sidelines of an informal EU foreign ministers meeting in Limassol, Cyprus, Tajani indicated that while no decision has been finalised, European capitals are in active consultation over a post-UNIFIL security framework.

UNIFIL Withdrawal Timeline

UNIFIL is set to cease operations at the end of December, with a phased withdrawal of personnel extending over the following year. The mission has long served as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah forces in the south of the country, and its departure raises urgent questions about who fills the resulting security vacuum.

'We discussed this, but ultimately a decision will have to be made, and we will have to see if it can be implemented,' Tajani told reporters in Limassol.

What Europe Is Considering

'We are evaluating what joint European initiatives we can adopt to help stabilise the situation, to strengthen the legitimate Lebanese authorities and thus avert a new war that could primarily affect civilians in the south of the country,' Tajani said. He did not specify whether the EU was considering a new military mission, a civilian monitoring presence, or a combination of both.

Tajani also announced that the EU has decided to channel development aid directly to communities in southern Lebanon bordering Israel. 'These are people who are suffering from a war for which they bear no responsibility,' he said.

Tajani Urges Israel to De-escalate

Italian Foreign Minister Tajani issued a direct call for Israel to halt its strikes in southern Lebanon, as Israeli forces bombed areas including the city of Tyre and the capital Beirut. The Israeli military had issued large-scale evacuation orders directing residents to move north of the Zharani River, approximately 40 kilometres from the Israeli border, warning it would act with 'extreme force.'

'We must de-escalate the situation and ensure that a comprehensive peace agreement can be reached on Iran and Lebanon,' Tajani said. He added that Hezbollah must be disarmed and a Lebanese state free from 'fundamentalist diktats' must be built, while simultaneously insisting that Israel 'cannot bomb areas where there are civilians.'

Broader Context and What Comes Next

This comes amid a sharply deteriorating security situation along the Israel-Lebanon border, with Hezbollah — the Iran-backed militant group — continuing to operate in southern Lebanon despite sustained Israeli military pressure. The prospect of a post-UNIFIL security gap has alarmed European governments that contribute troops to the mission, including Italy, France, and Spain.

Notably, any EU-led stabilisation effort would require consensus among member states — a politically complex ask given divergent positions on the Israel-Gaza conflict. The Limassol meeting is expected to produce no binding decisions, but Tajani's remarks signal that the conversation has moved beyond contingency planning. A formal EU proposal, if it materialises, would likely come before the December deadline.