Israeli strike on Beirut kills Hezbollah media head, security sources say | U.S. & World [Video]

BEIRUT (Reuters) -An Israeli strike on a building in central Beirut on Sunday killed Hezbollah’s media relations chief Mohammad Afif, two Lebanese security sources told Reuters, though there was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.

Israel has rarely hit senior Hezbollah personnel who do not have clear military roles, and its air strikes have mostly targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs where Hezbollah has its heaviest presence.

The Israeli military declined to comment in response to questions from Reuters. An Israeli military spokesperson’s account on the social media platform X that often publishes evacuation orders for areas about to be bombed showed no such warning before this strike.

Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire for more than a year, since the Iran-backed group began launching rockets at Israeli military targets on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel.

In late September, …