An Israeli airstrike in central Beirut kills Hezbollah’s chief spokesman, official says

An Israeli airstrike in central Beirut on Sunday killed the top spokesman for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror organization. 

Mohammed Afif, who was in charge of media relations for Hezbollah, was killed in the strike on the Arab socialist Baath party’s office, according to a Hezbollah official. The official was not authorized to brief reporters and spoke anonymously, according to The Associated Press. 

Hezbollah began attacking Israel with rockets, missiles and drones just one day after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel, which started the war in Gaza. Israel soon began retaliatory airstrikes in Lebanon, eventually erupting into war in September. Israeli forces invaded Lebanon with ground forces on Oct. 1.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not immediately comment on the airstrike, according to The Times of Israel. There was no evacuation warning ahead of the strike, as it was intended as an assassination. The attack did not target Hezbollah’s infrastructure.

Israel also assassinated longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in late September, after which Afif became especially visible. Israel then killed Nasrallah’s heir apparent Hashem Safieddine in an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut in late October. 

This latest targeted killing came as Lebanese officials were reportedly considering a U.S.-led ceasefire proposal.