Israeli airstrikes hit a building in central Beirut on Sunday, killing the media relations chief of Hezbollah, Mohammad Afif, two Lebanese security sources reported. In an escalation of the conflict, the attack targeted a high-ranking, non-military person, though Hezbollah has yet to confirm a death, and Israel remains silent.

Central Beirut Hit in Rare Strikes

The strike that killed Afif took place in the Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood of Beirut, a place rarely hit by Israeli airstrikes. In addition to killing Afif, the attack damaged a building housing the offices of Lebanon’s Ba’ath Party. According to reports, many people who had been displaced from the southern suburbs of Beirut had been taking shelter in the area following prior bombardments by Israel.

A second air strike later in the Day hit Mar Elias Street, another Beirut location rarely hit and an important central location. It was aimed at a car, killing at least two people, said Lebanon’s health ministry. Ambulances were scrambled to the area, and reports said shots were fired to keep crowds back from the bomb’s site.

Rising Tensions and Casualties on Both Sides

It’s over a year since the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel began. The conflict followed the launching of Hezbollah rockets at Israeli military positions in northern Israel on October 8, 2023, a Day after Hamas conducted a deadly assault in southern Israel. For this, Israel has widened its military operations against Hezbollah positions in the south, in the eastern regions, and in southern suburbs of the capital city, Beirut, as well as on the ground through incursions along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, Israel’s actions in Lebanon had taken 3,841 lives and wounded nearly 15,000 others over the past year. It is irrelevant to the sources, whether the combatant or civilian.

Israeli Military Actions Kill Dozens of Civilians, Soldiers in Hezbollah Rocket Attacks on Israel.

The Israeli war has targeted Hezbollah, but it is also targeting the Lebanese army. On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike killed two Lebanese soldiers and injured two others when it hit an army post in the southern town of Al-Mari. This attack marks a broader blow the conflict inflicts on Lebanon’s security forces, which are now fighting alongside civilians throughout the country.

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A notable loss for Hezbollah’s media presence

Mohammad Afif was one of Hezbollah’s media officials. He had served for a long time as media advisor to Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, who was also killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburb of Beirut in late September. Afif had previously headed Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television station and later headed the group’s media office. He played a critical role in distributing the opinions of the group.

Afif commented during his final public appearance on November 11: ‘Israeli forces have failed to gain anything in Lebanon and repeated: Hezbollah is best prepared with all the required tools to continue the war for all eternity.’ His death was regarded as a heavy loss to the communication warfare tactics Hezbollah had pursued as a vital component of the strategy since the start of the war.

Tensions Remain High; Future is Uncertain

Today’s airstrikes reflect the country’s ongoing instability as Israeli forces hit strongholds of Hezbollah while, too devastatingly, affecting broader areas and Beirut’s central neighborhoods in Lebanon. The death toll continues to rise, and thousands are displaced in a further militancy that shows no sign of weakening so far. The situation remains precarious, with further escalation in a conflict that has brought devastation to almost every home on both sides of the border.

International observers are calling on the parties to refocus on de-escalation. But the latest round of strikes raises questions about the possibility of renewed hostilities, let alone a near-term resolution to this long-simmering conflict.