Mohammad Afif killed in an Israeli strike on a construction in central Beirut in a setback to the Lebanese armed staff.An Israeli strike concentrated on a construction in central Beirut has killed Hezbollah’s spokesman Mohammad Afif, in line with officers from the Lebanese armed staff.
3 other folks have been injured within the strike within the densely populated Ras al-Nabaa district within the Lebanese capital, officers mentioned on Sunday, including that the construction used to be focused with out caution. Many Lebanese displaced via Israel’s ongoing moves in Beirut’s southern suburbs had taken shelter within the neighbourhood.
The Israeli navy had now not formally ordered the realm to be evacuated forward of the fatal strike on its deal with on X.
“Obviously, this can be a continuation of the Israeli coverage to move after now not handiest the army wing of Hezbollah, but additionally officers inside the administrative aspect of the organisation,” mentioned Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari. “What Israel is making an attempt to do is diminish the teams’ features on all fronts: financial, social, political, and armed forces.”
Afif controlled Hezbollah’s Al-Manar tv station for a number of years ahead of taking up as the highest media members of the family officer for the armed staff.
He hosted a number of press meetings amid the rubble within the southern suburbs of the capital devastated via weeks of Israeli bombardment.
In his most up-to-date feedback to journalists on November 11, he mentioned that Israeli troops were not able to occupy any territory in Lebanon and that Hezbollah had sufficient guns and provides to struggle a “lengthy battle”.
His killing is the newest in a string of assassinations of most sensible Hezbollah leaders, together with its leader Hassan Nasrallah, since Israel dramatically intensified its assaults throughout Lebanon in overdue September after three hundred and sixty five days of fireside exchanges alongside the border.
Nasrallah used to be assassinated in an Israeli strike on a residential construction in southern Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighourhood in overdue September.
Army analyst Elijah Magnier advised Al Jazeera that the killing of Afif is a part of Israel’s method to disrupt Hezbollah’s management and its skill to be in contact with the arena.
It’s going to additionally undermine Hezbollah’s skill to coordinate responses that counter Israel’s battle narrative, which is able to power different officers within the staff to be extra visual, Magnier mentioned.
“And in addition, it’s appearing that high-profile other people in Hezbollah, regardless of if they’re navy or non-military staff, they are able to be assassinated,” he advised Al Jazeera from the Belgian capital, Brussels.