The pro-Iranian Hezbollah announced on Sunday the death of its media manager in an Israeli “strike”, which, according to a security source, targeted the heart of Beirut a few hours before, leaving four dead.
In a press release, Hezbollah announced the death of “the great media leader (..) Hajj Mouhammad Afif al-Naboulsi, responsible for media relations” within Hezbollah, “in a Zionist strike (Israeli) criminal”.
The Israeli army confirmed this information on Sunday evening, claiming to have “eliminated” Mohammad Afif, presented as the “head of propaganda” of the pro-Iranian movement. He “was directly involved in Hezbollah’s terrorist activity against the State of Israel,” the Israeli army said in a statement.
In Nasrallah’s inner circle
A member of Hezbollah since the early 1980s, Afif was part of Hassan Nasrallah’s inner circle. He cut short one of the last press conferences he held, after an evacuation order from the Israeli army, which announced that it was going to target a building in the area.
“The bombings didn’t scare us, how could the threats scare us? “, he then told the journalists who were rushing to collect their microphones. It was also he who, in the name of Hezbollah, claimed responsibility for the drone attack that targeted the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea on October 22.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said four people were killed Sunday in an Israeli strike in the Ras el-Nabaa neighborhood in the heart of Beirut, where Mohammad Afif died. “The Israeli enemy strike on Ras al-Nabaa left four dead, including a woman, and 14 injured, including two children,” he said in a report revised upwards on Sunday evening.
Two Israeli strikes in Beirut, schools closed Monday and Tuesday
Schools in Beirut and its surroundings will be closed Monday and Tuesday, another Lebanese minister, that of Education, also announced on Sunday evening. This decision was taken following two Israeli strikes which targeted the heart of the capital a few hours apart.
“The Minister of Education, Abbas Halabi announced the closure of public and private schools and private higher education institutions which provide face-to-face classes,” according to a press release from the ministry, specifying that the measure will be applied Monday and Tuesday in the establishments of Beirut, certain sectors of Chouf, Metn-north, and in Baabda and Aley.