Mohammed Afif, the head of Hezbollah’s media relations, was killed in an Israeli bombing in central Beirut on Sunday. In a rare incident in central Beirut, the target was a building that housed the Syrian Ba’ath Party’s Lebanese section in the Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood. Afif’s death has not yet been formally confirmed by Hezbollah.
Viral Footage: Israeli Missile Strikes
A widely shared video showed the structure collapsing in the midst of a huge explosion as the Israeli missile struck. Footage shared by Iranian news agency IRNA later showed the collapsed structure reduced to rubble, with debris scattered across the area. Civil defence workers were seen sifting through the ruins.
Scenes from the building where Hezbollah’s media relations chief Mohammed Afif was assassinated in a Zionist regime attack in Ras Al Naba’a in Beirut on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/FACUQhhUJQ
— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) November 17, 2024
Afif, a prominent member of Hezbollah, was known for holding news conferences in the wake of Israeli bombardment and had previously been the organization’s media advisor. Among his recent remarks were assertions that Hezbollah was ready for a protracted war with Israel. His passing occurs a few weeks after Israeli forces killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
One Person Dead, Three Injured
According to the Lebanese health ministry, the strike in Ras al-Nabaa on Sunday left one person dead and three injured. The targeted structure also served as a shelter for displaced people from southern Lebanon, underscoring the high civilian casualty rate of the conflict.
🔴ELIMINATED: Chief Propagandist and Spokesperson of Hezbollah, Mohammed Afif
Afif was a senior Hezbollah military operative, in contact with senior officials and directly involved in advancing and executing Hezbollah’s terrorist activities against Israel.
Messages broadcasted… pic.twitter.com/Iw3WFynSIz
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 17, 2024
Two Israeli strikes occurred in Beirut on Sunday, including the attack on Ras al-Nabaa. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported that at least two people were killed in a separate attack that struck a car in Mar Elias, another infrequently targeted interior region. After the strike, the crowded neighborhood, which was home to many displaced inhabitants, was left in flames.
Since September, Israel has stepped up its military actions in Lebanon, focusing on Hezbollah bases in the country’s south and east as well as the southern suburbs of Beirut. Since the escalation started, the Lebanese health ministry estimates that more than 3,800 people have died and about 15,000 have been injured.
