Hezbollah Spokesman Killed in Israeli Strike on Beirut

Hezbollah spokesperson Mohammad Afif was reportedly killed on Sunday in an uncommon Israeli airstrike targeting central Beirut, outside the group’s usual strongholds in Dahieh, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Lebanese and Arab media outlets, as well as security sources, confirmed the incident.

The attack occurred in Ras al-Nabaa, near Sodeco Square, striking a building that housed the Lebanese branch of Syria’s ruling Baath Party. According to a surviving Baath Party member, the building also contained an apartment occupied by displaced Lebanese individuals.

The Israeli army radio confirmed that Afif was the intended target of the strike.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported at least one fatality and three injuries in the attack, with ongoing efforts to clear debris from the site. A Lebanese security source told AFP that Afif had been present in the Baath Party office, but his exact fate remained uncertain.

This was the first strike on central Beirut in weeks. Previous airstrikes had targeted areas linked to Palestinian officials in Cola, a Hezbollah-affiliated rescue group in Bashoura, and two locations in Nweiri and Basta, where Hezbollah figure Wafiq Safa was reportedly the target.

An Associated Press photographer at the scene witnessed four bodies and four injured individuals. Residents were seen fleeing the neighborhood, as the attack came without prior warning. The Israeli military has not issued a statement regarding the airstrike.