Israel Kills Hezbollah Media Relations Official in Airstrike on Beirut
Beirut (Quds News Network) — A senior Lebanese security source confirmed to Al Jazeera that Mohammad Afif, Hezbollah’s Media Relations Chief, was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Ras El-Nabaa district in central Beirut.
The airstrike reportedly hit a building, sparking a wave of displacement among residents in the densely populated area.
The strike prompted a significant exodus from the district, as civilians feared further escalations. Shortly after the attack, Israel’s Army Radio announced that Afif was the intended target of the assault in Beirut.
The airstrike is part of a broader campaign by the Israeli military, which earlier on Sunday conducted at least 27 air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut and other regions in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military claimed that its fighter jets targeted what it described as “Hezbollah military sites” in the southern suburbs. Information from the ground, along with video evidence, confirms that the targets were civilians.
The ongoing Israeli assault on Lebanon has so far claimed 3,452 lives and left 14,664 others injured, with many of the casualties being women and children. The attacks has also triggered a mass displacement crisis, with approximately 1.4 million people forced to flee their homes since the renewed bombardment began.
Mohammad Afif, who served as Hezbollah’s public spokesperson, was not a field commander but an official engaged in media relations, frequently conducting public press conferences. His assassination has drawn sharp criticism from international relations experts.
Dr. Leila Nicolas, a professor at the Lebanese University, emphasized that Afif was a non-combatant and his role was purely communicative. “This assassination signals that Israel’s military target list has run dry, pushing them towards tactics aimed at psychological warfare, including the assassination of civilian officials,” Nicolas said.
Dr. Hossam Matar, another expert in international relations, condemned the killing as a politically motivated act, describing Afif as a courageous, outspoken media figure who was easily accessible due to his frequent public appearances. “This was a political assassination carried out in the heart of Beirut using American weaponry and with US support, just days before the arrival of the so-called American mediator to the region,” Matar added.
Israel’s targeting of media personnel and civilians violate international conventions. Afif’s assassination is seen as a stark escalation, especially since he was protected under international law as a civilian engaged in non-combatant activities.
