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| Hezbollah media chief killed in Israeli strike in Beirut | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hezbollah's media chief Mohammed Afif has been killed in an Israeli strike in central Beirut, the Lebanese militant group has confirmed. | |
| A strike hit the headquarters of the Baath political party in the densely populated Ras al-Naba neighbourhood on Sunday, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency. | A strike hit the headquarters of the Baath political party in the densely populated Ras al-Naba neighbourhood on Sunday, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency. |
| The country's health ministry said four people were killed, but did not name the victims. | |
| Afif, one of the few remaining public faces of the group, was last seen on Monday, when he gave a press conference in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the group is based. | Afif, one of the few remaining public faces of the group, was last seen on Monday, when he gave a press conference in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the group is based. |
| The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not commented on the reports. | |
| The BBC has contacted the IDF. | The BBC has contacted the IDF. |
| Hezbollah confirmed the death on Sunday evening, several hours after it was first reported. | |
| Most of the headquarters of the Lebanese branch of the Syrian Baath party was destroyed in the strike, as rescue and civil defence teams rushed to aid a number of people trapped under the rubble, the National News Agency reported. | Most of the headquarters of the Lebanese branch of the Syrian Baath party was destroyed in the strike, as rescue and civil defence teams rushed to aid a number of people trapped under the rubble, the National News Agency reported. |
| The health ministry said 14 people were injured as well as the four killed. | |
| The site of the building where the strike hit, according to Reuters | The site of the building where the strike hit, according to Reuters |
| The Lebanese Baath Party is a branch of the Syrian Baath Party, headed by President Bashar Al-Assad, and a long-time Hezbollah ally. | The Lebanese Baath Party is a branch of the Syrian Baath Party, headed by President Bashar Al-Assad, and a long-time Hezbollah ally. |
| Its Lebanese headquarters are located by a busy central intersection connecting western and eastern Beirut with the city centre and the airport road, which passes through the southern suburbs. | Its Lebanese headquarters are located by a busy central intersection connecting western and eastern Beirut with the city centre and the airport road, which passes through the southern suburbs. |
| BBC Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab said the development raised concern that Israel was expanding attacks beyond Hezbollah military officials. Hezbollah is also a political party with representatives in parliament and ministers in government. | BBC Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab said the development raised concern that Israel was expanding attacks beyond Hezbollah military officials. Hezbollah is also a political party with representatives in parliament and ministers in government. |
| “That is really sending alarm to people, that there are no signs of de-escalating this situation or finding a solution, but rather further escalation and widening Israeli targets against Hezbollah in Lebanon," she told BBC's news channel. | “That is really sending alarm to people, that there are no signs of de-escalating this situation or finding a solution, but rather further escalation and widening Israeli targets against Hezbollah in Lebanon," she told BBC's news channel. |
| Later on Sunday, another strike in central Beirut on Mar Elias Street killed two people and wounded 13 more, the Lebanese health ministry said. | Later on Sunday, another strike in central Beirut on Mar Elias Street killed two people and wounded 13 more, the Lebanese health ministry said. |
| Pictures from Mar Elias Street showed firefighters rushing to put out flames | Pictures from Mar Elias Street showed firefighters rushing to put out flames |
| The BBC has reached out to the IDF about the second strike in central Beirut. | The BBC has reached out to the IDF about the second strike in central Beirut. |
| Earlier on Sunday, the IDF said it had conducted strikes on six Hezbollah military targets in the southern suburbs. | Earlier on Sunday, the IDF said it had conducted strikes on six Hezbollah military targets in the southern suburbs. |
| In the past week, the Israeli military has intensified its attacks on Beirut, amid renewed efforts led by the US for a ceasefire in the war. | In the past week, the Israeli military has intensified its attacks on Beirut, amid renewed efforts led by the US for a ceasefire in the war. |
| Israel already killed Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top commanders and senior officials in Beirut strikes in late September, when Israel launched an offensive against the Iran-backed group. | Israel already killed Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top commanders and senior officials in Beirut strikes in late September, when Israel launched an offensive against the Iran-backed group. |
| Israel said it wanted to return tens of thousands of displaced residents to the country's north nearly a year after Hezbollah stepped up rocket attacks in support of Palestinians after Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. | Israel said it wanted to return tens of thousands of displaced residents to the country's north nearly a year after Hezbollah stepped up rocket attacks in support of Palestinians after Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. |
| More than 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since then, including at least 2,600 since Israel launched a intense air campaign followed by a ground invasion in the south in late September, according to the Lebanese health ministry. | More than 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since then, including at least 2,600 since Israel launched a intense air campaign followed by a ground invasion in the south in late September, according to the Lebanese health ministry. |
| Another 1.2 million people have been displaced. | Another 1.2 million people have been displaced. |