Israeli strike on central Beirut kills Hezbollah's chief spokesperson

Hezbollah's chief spokesman Mohammed Afif. Credit: AP

The chief spokesperson of Hezbollah has been killed in an Israeli airstrike on central Beirut on Sunday, according to an official with the Lebanese militant group.

Mohammed Afif, the head of media relations for Hezbollah, was killed in a strike on the Arab socialist Baath party's office, an anonymous Hezbollah official said.

Israel’s apparent targeting of Afif comes amid an escalation in its offensive in Lebanon, alongside intensified diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.

On Sunday, November 17, the health ministry in Gaza said at least 50 people were killed in an Israeli strike.

The strike hit the central Lebanese area, known as Ras al-Nebaa, in the middle of the day, with no evacuation warning issued.

The Israel Defence Force has not commented on the strike.

Afif was one of the few public faces of Hezbollah, following a massive Israeli infiltration operation drove the group deep underground.

He was also a close adviser of Hezbollah’s long-time late leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike in September.

He often delivered speeches from news conferences amid the rubble in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Smoke rises from a building collapsing after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Chiyah, south of Beirut, Lebanon. Credit: AP

Hezbollah is currently reviewing a US-Israeli ceasefire proposal submitted to the Lebanese government on Thursday, according to ITV News' US partner CNN.

It is unclear whether Afif’s reported killing will impact the negotiations.

Israeli airstrikes also hit several buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, where Hezbollah has long been headquartered, after warning people to evacuate.

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