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At a session of the Bundestag (recording from June 23), the members of parliament decided to extend the Bundeswehr mission in Lebanon
Photo: Britta Pedersen / dpa
The participation of the Bundeswehr in the UN mission off the coast of Lebanon will be continued.
The Bundestag voted on Thursday to extend the mission by one year until the end of June 2023.
In a roll-call vote, 541 MEPs voted yes, 103 no and two abstained.
This means that up to 300 German soldiers can continue to take part in the UN mission Unifil;
According to the Bundeswehr, there are an average of around 150. The mission is intended in particular to secure the Lebanese coast and coastal waters and is intended to prevent arms smuggling.
»Fragile Security Policy Environment«
Unifil is "an essential stabilizing element" in the "fragile security policy environment" of the Middle East," the German government had justified its application for the extension of the mission.
"The support of the international community in stabilizing Lebanon" is still necessary.
The Unifil mission has been running for more than 40 years.
The trigger was a seven-day military offensive by Israel against Palestinian fighters in southern Lebanon in March 1978. Unifil's task was therefore initially to monitor a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers.
In 2006, the mission was significantly expanded.
Since then, the Bundeswehr has been involved in the mission in the so-called maritime task force founded at the time.
The Bundeswehr is participating in the UN mission Unifil in Lebanon for another year.
On Thursday evening, the Bundestag extended the mandate with which up to 300 German soldiers can be deployed with a large majority.
ktz/dpa/afp