Former Hezbollah media spokesperson Rana Sahili during a ceremony commemorating her work in March 2025. (Photo circulating on social media)
BEIRUT — Social media users took to social media platforms to express solidarity with former Hezbollah media spokesperson Rana al-Sahili, after her dismissal by the Head of Media Relations in the party, Yousef Al-Zein.
On Sunday Sahili released a statement thanking those who stood in solidarity with her saying that it's a "badge of honor that I will carry with pride throughout my life. I truly cherish it."
"We have always stood together through all the critical moments of our media, political, and social lives — through every detail of the resistance. Words cannot express how grateful I am for your sincere and heartfelt messages, spoken from your hearts before your mouths and pens."
"I am the daughter of this great organization, and I will certainly never stray from it. Wherever the resistance is, we will be there — in voice, image, and word. As our leader said [assassinated Hezbollah chief Hassan Nassrallah], we are rooted in this land — body and rifle — and in every inch of it, we will be present, planting every cell of our being in the soil of the South.We will remain loyal to this resistance wherever we may be and in whatever role we may serve, and God willing, we will be together."
"Together, we will stay loyal to the martyrs, wherever we may be and whatever we do. I will remain at your service wherever I am, within this blessed path to which I belong. Therefore, I thank you once again for your support. But I also hope that we can shift our attention to a higher and more noble occasion — the commemoration of the two martyred leaders [Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine]. May your solidarity focus on honoring this great and momentous occasion, where we will all come together in loyalty to the immense sacrifices that were made," Sahili concluded.
Sahili had worked closely with Mohammad Afif, who served for years as the head of Hezbollah’s Media Relations Office and was the official spokesperson during the most recent war. Afif was killed in an Israeli airstrike in November last year.
Following his death, Hezbollah announced the appointment of Youssef Al-Zein as the new head of Media Relations.
The Media Relations Office of Hezbollah has not issued an official statement on the matter, limiting its communication to circulating new contact numbers for the current officials in the media unit.
Sahili was not responsive to L'Orient Today's request for comment.
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