Hezbollah spokesman Mohammad Afif was killed in an Israeli attack on the Lebanese branch of the Syrian Baath Party in central Beirut, Lebanese security sources said. “Hezbollah media relations officer Mohammad Afif was killed in the attack in Ras al-Nabama,” said a security source, requesting anonymity.
The official National News Agency (NNA) reported that the secretary general of the Lebanese branch of the Baath Party, Ali Hijaji, confirmed the death of Hezbollah media officer Afif. The Israeli army has refused to comment on the matter.
Mohammed Afif was killed on November 16, 2024. Afif had been responsible for Hezbollah’s media communications for several years, working closely with local and international journalists. He became more prominent following the death of Hassan Nasrallah in late September 2024, frequently representing Hezbollah at press events. His appointment as a key media spokesperson likely coincided with the intensification of his public role after Nasrallah’s assassination.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health stated that one person was killed and three others were injured in the attack, stating that the death toll is provisional and that the work of removing debris from the attack site is ongoing. Afif had been in charge of Hezbollah’s media relations for years and had been providing information to local and foreign journalists under the guise of anonymity.
The NNA said the attack by “enemy aircraft” had caused “massive destruction”, reporting an unspecified number of people “trapped under rubble” in Ras al-Naba, near the French embassy and university. “A resident of a neighboring building received a warning call to evacuate but it was not taken seriously,” NNA said.
Afif held several press conferences in the southern suburbs of Beirut after long-time Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a major Israeli strike in late September. In a similar incident last month, Afif announced that Hezbollah had targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence with a drone strike. The press conference was stopped after the Israeli army warned of an attack on a nearby building.
