Hezbollah Spokesman Mohammad Afif Assassinated in Israeli Strike in Beirut

November 17, 2024

Hezbollah’s Media Relations Officer, Mohammad Afif. (Photo: via Al-Mayadeen)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Hezbollah’s Media Relations Officer, Mohammad Afif, was assassinated on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a building belonging to the Baath Party in Beirut’s Ras al-Nabaa area. 

The Secretary-General of the Arab Socialist Baath Party in Lebanon, Ali Hijazi, confirmed to the Lebanese news platform Al-Mayadeen that Afif was in the building at the time of the attack.  

In an interview with Al-Mayadeen, Hijazi said that Afif had received direct threats on local and regional media platforms. 

The Baath leader stated that the targeting of figures like Afif is part of a strategy to “silence the voice of the resistance both politically and at all levels, as this voice exposes (Israel).”  

Hijazi highlighted that Afif was a media figure, not a combatant, explaining, “he did not lead a military unit in Hezbollah; rather, he headed a media unit.”  

He clarified that the attacked building is owned and operated by the Baath Party, adding that no civilians were inside at the time. 

Hijazi noted that the building has frequently hosted meetings during the ongoing war, a fact widely known.  

“We stand with the resistance, and this resistance will prevail, whether we survive or not,” Hijazi affirmed in his exclusive interview with Al-Mayadeen.  

Hijazi also revealed that threats against the Baath Party had been escalating since the start of the war. 

He mentioned that a detainee accused of collaborating with the Israeli occupation had confessed two months ago to photographing the Baath Party headquarters under orders from Israeli handlers.  

An Al-Mayadeen correspondent reported that at least five people were killed in the airstrike on the Baath Party’s headquarters in Ras al-Nabaa.  

Commenting on the attack, Hussein al-Jishi, a member of the Lebanese Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, said the Israeli aggression is part of an effort to pressure the Resistance’s popular base and create distance between the fighters and their supporters as “the enemy grows increasingly incapable on the battlefield.”  

Al-Jishi slammed the targeting of a media spokesperson like Afif, emphasizing that “there is nothing heroic or brave” in such actions. 

He pointed out that Afif’s role was symbolic, carrying his phone and disseminating information rather than engaging in combat.  

“We uphold two constants: preserving our sovereignty and refusing to negotiate under fire,” al-Jishi stated.

Martyr’s Day

In a press conference held on November 11, marking Hezbollah Martyr’s Day, Afif delivered a powerful speech emphasizing the enduring legacy of late Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Nasrallah. Afif highlighted that Nasrallah’s spirit lives on through the martyrs who emerged from his teachings, describing him as “a nation in one man.”

Afif added that the fighters on the ground hold the decisive power in shaping the political landscape of the Middle East. He stated that despite its efforts, Israel had been unable to occupy even a single Lebanese village, with the Khiam Fortress standing as a testament to the resistance’s heroism. He also dismissed Israeli claims about Hezbollah’s depleted missile stock as fabrications, stating that their missiles would provide the true answer.

Afif praised the strong relationship between Hezbollah and the Lebanese army, emphasizing their united front in protecting Lebanon’s land and national security.

He also criticized the ongoing political and media campaigns targeting Hezbollah, reaffirming that the resistance is rooted in Lebanese soil and serves no external faction.

(PC, Al-Mayadeen)