[News] Hezbollah Spokesman Mohammad Afif Assassinated in Israeli Strike in Beirut

[Anti-Imperialist News]

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Hezbollah Spokesman Mohammad Afif Assassinated in Israeli Strike in
BeirutNovember
17, 2024
------------------------------
Hezbollah’s Media Relations Officer, Mohammad Afif. (Photo: via
Al-Mayadeen)

*By Palestine Chronicle Staff
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/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)*

(The Palestine Chronicle is a registered
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/about/> 501(c)3 organization, thus, all
donations are tax deductible.)
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