Hezbollah media relations chief assassinated by Israel in heart of Beirut
The deadly Israeli strike on central Beirut’s Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood caused massive destruction, killing and injuring several others
The head of Hezbollah’s Media Relations Department, Mohammad Afif, was assassinated in a violent Israeli airstrike on a building in the heart of Beirut on 17 November.
“Fate willed that Hajj Muhammad Afif was inside the building at the time of the attack [in the Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood],” said the Secretary-General of the Arab Socialist Baath Party, Ali Hijazi. He said Afif was holding a meeting in the Baath party headquarters at the time of the Israeli strike.
"Afif did not fight with weapons and did not lead a military unit in Hezbollah. Rather, he led a media unit," Hijazi added.
A Lebanese security source also confirmed to Al Jazeera that Afif was assassinated in the Israeli attack on central Beirut’s Ras al-Nabaa. At least five were killed and seven injured. There was massive destruction at the site, and the toll is expected to rise.
Hezbollah MP Hussein al-Jishi said to Al Mayadeen that “the enemy’s targeting of a media spokesman who always carries his phone in his hand is further evidence of its inability, and this is neither courage nor heroism.”
The Lebanese resistance movement has yet to release a statement. Israel also heavily targeted Beirut's southern suburb and other areas of the country on Sunday.
Israel had tried to assassinate Afif on 3 October, when it targeted the building of Hezbollah’s Media Relations office in the southern suburb of Beirut. On 22 October, it targeted the site where Afif was giving a speech in the Ghobeiry area of the suburb.
Afif gave a speech for Martyrs Day last week, during which he affirmed to Israel that Hezbollah is prepared for a long war.
In his speech on 22 October, Afif publicly announced Hezbollah’s responsibility for the drone attack which exploded in the bedroom window of Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea.
"To the Israeli enemy, we say: you have only seen a little, and what happened in Haifa, Acre, and Safad is just the start ... To the leaders of the occupation: Iron for iron, blood for blood, and fire for fire," Afif said last month.
Hezbollah continues to fiercely confront Israeli ground troops in southern Lebanon, while stepping up its rocket, drone, and missile attacks against Israel.
Several Hezbollah rocket impacts resulted in heavy damage in the Haifa Bay area on 16 November.