Lebanon reported that two Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut on Sunday killed six people, with Hezbollah confirming that its spokesperson was among the casualties.
Israel has been heavily targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah, since war broke out on September 23, though attacks on central Beirut have been less frequent. The first strike hit the Ras al-Nabaa district, killing four people, including Mohammed Afif, Hezbollah’s media relations chief. Both Hezbollah and Israel’s military confirmed Afif’s death.
The second strike occurred in the Mar Elias area, killing two people and injuring 22 others. The area, densely populated and home to displaced people, was struck by Israeli warplanes, according to the official National News Agency. AFP reporters in the area described hearing explosions and sirens, followed by a strong smell of burning. A Lebanese security source said the attack hit an electronics store and a vehicle.
Lina, a 59-year-old resident of Mar Elias whose home is less than 500 meters from the strike site, said the attack hit a street she uses regularly. “It’s a residential area… Nowhere in the country is safe anymore,” she said.
The National News Agency initially reported that the strike targeted a Jamaa Islamiya center, a Sunni Muslim group allied with both Hamas and Hezbollah. However, Jamaa Islamiya lawmaker Imad Hout told AFP that no such center existed in the targeted area, and no members of the group were involved.
The earlier strike on Ras al-Nabaa killed Afif, whom the Israeli military described as Hezbollah’s “chief propagandist.” Hezbollah called him a “great martyr on the road to Jerusalem,” a term used for members killed by Israel. In total, four people died and 14 were injured in that strike, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Following Sunday’s attacks, Lebanon’s Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced that schools and universities in the Beirut area would remain closed for two days. Meanwhile, Israel’s military stated that it had hit over 200 targets in Lebanon since Saturday morning. In southern Lebanon’s Tyr region, Israeli strikes killed 11 people and wounded 48 on Sunday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.