Hezbollah’s media chief, Mohammed Afif, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit the headquarters of the Lebanese Baath Party in central Beirut on Sunday.
The strike targeted the Baath Party office in the densely populated Ras al-Naba neighborhood, resulting in the deaths of at least four people, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.
The country’s health ministry confirmed that in addition to the fatalities, 14 others were injured in the attack, though the identities of the victims have not been disclosed.
Rescue and civil defense teams worked swiftly to free individuals trapped under the rubble of the destroyed building.
Afif, a prominent public figure and one of the few remaining senior Hezbollah officials to appear in public, was last seen on Monday, 11th November during a press conference in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of the militant group. Hezbollah later confirmed his death, hours after initial reports surfaced.
The airstrike also caused significant damage to the Baath Party headquarters, which is a key ally of Hezbollah and the Syrian government. The site is located near a busy intersection connecting several major parts of the city, raising concerns about the further escalation of Israeli operations in the region.
Later on Sunday, another Israeli strike in the Mar Elias area of central Beirut killed two people and wounded 13 others, as flames erupted from the building struck.
The Lebanese health ministry provided this toll, but no official comments have been made by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on the Mar Elias attack.
The recent airstrikes are part of an intensifying Israeli campaign against Hezbollah, which has included multiple high-profile attacks on the group’s leadership.
It was reported that last month, Israel’s strikes in Beirut killed several senior Hezbollah commanders, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
The escalation comes amid continued conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, following months of heavy fighting that began after Hamas launched attacks on Israel in October 2023.
The death toll in Lebanon has surpassed 3,400, with more than 1.2 million people displaced since the violence escalated.
The international community has expressed concern over the growing number of civilian casualties and the risk of the conflict spreading further.
Reports indicate that Israel’s latest strikes target not only Hezbollah’s military infrastructure but also political and public figures associated with the group, signaling a broader strategy to undermine its operations.