Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, confirmed that its media relations chief, Mohammad Afif, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building in central Beirut on Sunday. The Israeli military later confirmed the strike, stating it had “eliminated” Afif. The strike also left three others injured.

This attack is part of ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, which have been escalating since October 2023, following the Hamas attack on Israel. Over the last year, Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes across Lebanon, resulting in significant casualties, including 3,841 deaths and nearly 15,000 injuries, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The airstrike on Beirut occurred in the Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood, a residential area that has been a refuge for those displaced by Israeli bombings in southern Beirut. In addition to Afif’s death, Israeli airstrikes have targeted military positions in Lebanon, killing several Lebanese soldiers, including two on Sunday in the town of Al-Mari.

Afif had been a long-time media advisor to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and had managed the group’s Al-Manar television. He had been vocal in defending Hezbollah’s military stance, asserting that the group was well-equipped to continue its fight.