Hezbollah Media Chief Killed in Israeli Airstrike on Beirut

Hezbollah’s media chief, Mohammad Afif, has been killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut. A second strike killed two others and injured 22 people.

Hezbollah’s media relations chief, Mohammad Afif, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building in central Beirut on Sunday, according to security sources. The Lebanese armed group confirmed his death.

Israel, which has typically refrained from targeting senior Hezbollah figures without direct military roles, has mainly focused its strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the group maintains a stronghold. However, late on Sunday, the Israeli military released a statement saying it had “eliminated” Afif. The Lebanese health ministry reported that the strike killed one person and injured three others.

Later the same day, a second strike hit Mar Elias street, another rarely targeted area in central Beirut, according to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV. The Lebanese Health Ministry stated that this strike resulted in at least two deaths and 22 injuries.

Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated for over the past year, with Hezbollah launching rockets at Israeli military targets since October 8, 2023. In late September, Israel intensified its operations in Lebanon, carrying out heavy airstrikes on the southern and eastern regions, as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs, alongside ground incursions near the border.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that Israel’s campaign over the past year has so far claimed 3,841 lives and injured nearly 15,000 people. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities say Hezbollah rocket attacks have killed dozens of Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians

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