Israeli strike hits central Beirut, killing Hezbollah spokesperson

(17 Nov 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

++QUALITY AS INCOMING++

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut, Lebanon - 17 November 2024
1. Various of workers clearing debris
2. Various of building damaged by Israeli strike
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Qasim Hashem, legislator and Development and Liberation bloc parliamentary member:
"The enemy, with the escalation over the past two days, which reached the capital Beirut today — at the time Lebanon received the proposal that we will discuss to achieve a cease-fire and commitment to Resolution 1701 - is merely an attempt by this enemy to put pressure on Lebanon."
4. Various of workers clearing debris with machinery
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali Gharib, member of Arab Socialist Baʿth Party:
“A blatant Zionist aggression against a partisan institution— the headquarters of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party in Lebanon. It is an institution, not a military barracks, and we take pride in the fact that the leadership of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party is part of the axis of resistance and defiance."
6. Wide of debris
7. Various of damaged building by Israeli strike
STORYLINE:
A rare Israeli airstrike on central Beirut killed Hezbollah's chief spokesman on Sunday, an official with the militant group said.

The latest in targeted killings of senior Hezbollah officials came as Lebanese officials considered a United States-led cease-fire proposal.

"The enemy, with the escalation over the past two days, which reached the capital Beirut today — at the time Lebanon received the proposal that we will discuss to achieve a cease-fire and commitment to Resolution 1701 - is merely an attempt by this enemy to put pressure on Lebanon," Qasim Hashem, a legislator and Development and Liberation bloc parliamentary member said on Sunday.

Mohammed Afif, the head of media relations for Hezbollah, was killed in a strike on the Arab socialist Baath party's office in central Beirut, according to a Hezbollah official who was not authorized to brief reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Afif had been especially visible after all-out war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in September and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike. Last month, Afif hastily wrapped up a press conference in Beirut ahead of Israeli strikes.

Israel also bombed several buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has long been headquartered, after warning people to evacuate.

There was no Israeli evacuation warning before the strike in central Beirut. An Associated Press photographer at the scene saw four bodies and four wounded people, but there was no official word on the toll. People could be seen fleeing. There was no comment from the Israeli military.

The last Israeli strike in central Beirut was on Oct. 10, when 22 people were killed in two locations.

Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel the day after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack ignited the war in Gaza. Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes in Lebanon and the conflict steadily escalated, erupting into war in September. Israeli forces invaded Lebanon on Oct. 1.

Hezbollah has continued to fire dozens of projectiles into Israel daily and has expanded their range to central Israel.

The attacks have killed at least 76 people, including 31 soldiers, and caused some 60,000 people to flee in the north. A rocket barrage on the northern city of Haifa on Saturday damaged a synagogue and wounded two civilians.


AP Video shot by Fadi Tawil and Mahmad Aounti

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