Hezbollah’s Head of Media Relations, Mohammad Afif Nabulsi. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Hezbollah’s media officer, Mohammad Afif Nabulsi, was killed on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the offices of the Syrian Baath Party's Lebanese branch in central Beirut, according to reports from Reuters, AFP, and local media.
Hezbollah confirmed Nabulsi's death in the attack late on Sunday night, but didn't mention his deputy, Mahmoud al-Sharkawi, who was reportedly also killed. The secretary-general of the Syrian Baath Party, Ali Hijazi, told al-Mayadeen that Nabulsi was at the party's office "by coincidence."
But who was Nabulsi?
For many years, Mohammad Afif Nabulsi played a key role in managing Hezbollah’s media relations, maintaining ties with local and international journalists and frequently providing information anonymously.
Following the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in late September, Nabulsi became increasingly visible, holding several press conferences in Beirut's southern suburbs, where much of Hezbollah's administration is situated. His rapport with the media and the public was key to conveying Hezbollah's announcements and positions.
During one such press event, he abruptly ended the session after an Israeli evacuation order was issued, warning of an imminent attack on a nearby building. "Bombs don’t scare us, so how can there be threats?" he told reporters, who were rushing to gather their equipment.
Nabulsi first gained prominence during the July 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel when he served as the head of information for Al-Manar TV, the group’s media channel. He also acted as a media adviser to the late Nasrallah.
Nabulsi's presence had become a familiar one to journalists covering Hezbollah, who were also accustomed to seeing Nabulsi during interviews with Nasrallah. He was instrumental in facilitating news coverage, a formidable task to take on within Hezbollah, a party known for its highly curated and carefully crafted media relations.
The past weeks have seen several senior Hezbollah officials assassinated by Israel, intensifying the pressure on the group’s leadership.