The media relations chief of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Mohammad Afif, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building in central Beirut on Sunday, according to Reuters. This rare targeting of a senior Hezbollah official, who did not hold a military role, marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
The Israeli military confirmed that Afif was “neutralized” in the airstrike. The Lebanese health ministry reported that the attack killed one person and injured three others. A separate Israeli airstrike later hit the Mar Elias area of Beirut, which is also rarely targeted. According to the health ministry this strike killed at least two people and 22 wounded .
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for over a year, ever since Hezbollah began launching rockets at Israeli military targets in October 2023, following the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel. Since then, Israel has expanded its military campaign in Lebanon, with heavy airstrikes in the south and east of the country, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, and ground incursions along the border.
