November 18, 2024: The spokesperson for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Mohammed Afif, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday, a development that has heightened tensions in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The strike, which took place in the Ras al-Nabaa district of Beirut, also claimed the lives of three other individuals, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

Hezbollah confirmed Afif's death in a statement, describing him as a “great media leader” and a key figure in the group's communications efforts since 2014. Afif had previously served as an advisor to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He was reportedly at the headquarters of the pro-Hezbollah Baath Party when the attack occurred.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, calling it a "precise, intelligence-based operation" that targeted Afif, whom they described as the “chief propagandist” for Hezbollah. Israel has long categorized Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization."

The attack marks the latest escalation in the ongoing violence between Israel and Hezbollah, which has intensified since Israel launched a new offensive on October 1, 2024. In a second attack on Sunday evening, an Israeli missile struck a building in the Mar Elias neighborhood, a densely populated Sunni-majority area of central Beirut, killing at least two people. This brings the total number of Israeli airstrikes in Beirut to five since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Among those expressing condolences for Afif's death was Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, which praised Afif as a "strong and defiant voice of resistance" against Israeli actions.

Afif's death comes as Hezbollah is reportedly considering a U.S.-Israeli ceasefire proposal presented to the Lebanese government on Thursday. Sources familiar with the negotiations say it is unclear whether the killing of the group's spokesperson will influence Hezbollah’s response to the proposal.

The incident underscores the volatility of the situation, with both sides seemingly preparing for further confrontations, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to halt the violence.