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3. Who Was Mohammad Afif, Hezb’s Head of Media Relations?

The head of Hezbollah's media department, Mohammad Afif, was killed on Sunday in the offices of the Lebanese branch of the Syrian Baath Party, located in the Ras al-Nabeh district in the heart of Beirut.

A prominent figure in Hezbollah, he was the son of Sheikh Afif Naboulsi, an important religious figure in the Lebanese Shiite community.

Afif held the highest position as a media adviser in the movement and was part of its founding generation, having joined in 1983.

A friend of former Secretary General Abbas al-Moussaoui, who was assassinated by Israel in 1992 and directly succeeded by Hassan Nasrallah, Mr. Afif worked to strengthen Hezbollah's influence over the last 40 years until his death.

In particular, he participated in creating and growing Al-Manar TV, where he directed news and political programs. He also played a major role in the live coverage of the July 2006 war.

As Nasrallah's media advisor, he officially took charge of the formation's media relations in 2014.

Mohammad Afif has since become one of Hezbollah's key media figures. Known for his straight-talking and possessing a deep understanding of international media dynamics, he skillfully navigated the expectations of both local and international media, using rhetoric that adapted to various contexts.

As head of media relations, he organized press conferences and visits for journalists to Hezbollah strongholds, as well as intervening publicly to defend the group’s position, particularly since the start of the current war.

His last press conference was held on Monday November 11, in the heart of Beirut's southern suburbs, in the presence of dozens of Lebanese and foreign journalists.