News- Middle East: During the devastating Israeli war of aggression on Lebanon last year, which claimed the lives of thousands, Haj Mohammad Afif al-Naboulsi was among the last to be martyred.

Afif, who served for years as the head of Hezbollah’s Media Relations Office and was the official spokesperson during the war, embraced martyrdom alongside many others on November 17, 2024, in an Israeli military strike on his office in Beirut.

In an exclusive interview with Press TV website, Rana al-Sahili, a member of Afif’s media team, recalled the events leading to the martyrdom of Afif and his colleagues.

The Israeli airstrike targeted a building in the Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood of western Beirut, killing at least five people and injuring at least three others.

It was the second attack on the area since the Israeli regime launched its aggression on Lebanon on October 8, 2023, immediately following the historic Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

Hezbollah was the first resistance movement to join the unprecedented military operation against the Zionist entity, just a day after the operation shook the world.

The greatest aspiration

Sahili told the Press TV website that following the assassination of top Hezbollah military commander and strategist Fuad Shukr, also known as Haj Mohsen, on July 30, and contrary to American reassurances, it became clear things were escalating.

“In the Hezbollah media relations office, preparations were made in full: equipment, computers, and all necessary materials were readied,” she said.

“Following the assassination of senior leaders, Haj Mohammad (Afif) asked me whether I was afraid. As the only woman in the office, I replied immediately, without hesitation: Afraid of what? The greatest aspiration we hold is martyrdom. On the contrary, I am proud to be part of this work. How could I fear, when we follow the path of Imam Hussein (AS),” she recalled.

Sahili said that Afif then outlined her responsibilities, which were consistent with her usual role: coordinating with journalists and assisting them with every detail necessary to convey an accurate picture, exposing and condemning the crimes of the Israeli enemy.

“The only restriction in our work was a strict prohibition against cooperating with any Israeli entity or with media outlets that adopted Israeli narratives and aligned themselves with them, such as Al Arabiya, Al Hadath, and Sky News Arabia,” she said.

Bereaved, but the mission continues

Sahili recalled the tragic events of September 27, describing how she and Afif had to announce to the world the news of the martyrdom of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah after agonizing hours of waiting for the final confirmation.

“On that day, I remained at the office despite the implementation of the wartime plan, which required reducing staff and avoiding the main offices. Haj Mohammad was also present. Passing by my room, he was surprised to find me still working at six o’clock in the evening,” she recalled.

“He asked why I had not left, and I replied—half in jest—that I preferred staying at my desk rather than sitting at home with children and women, as long as there was work to do. He laughed and remarked, ‘Truly, you are steadfast, remaining at your post.’”

According to Sahili, that was her last meeting with Haj Mohammad (Afif) at the office.

“Shortly after, I left for the mountains with Haj Mohammad’s sister. Within minutes, a powerful explosion shook everything around us, like an earthquake beneath our feet. It felt as though our hearts had been torn from our chests. I cried out instinctively, ‘Sayyed is gone!’ My friend refused to accept those words, but I insisted that such a strike must have targeted him,” she said, recalling the fateful day when the regime bombed Afif’s office compound.

“I tried to reach Haj Mohammad, but all lines were down. Eventually, we spoke briefly. Silence dominated the conversation; he awaited news from me, and I awaited confirmation from him. When I asked, ‘Was it the leader?’ he replied haltingly, ‘God forbid.’ His words came broken, as though the strike had pierced his heart and soul.”

Calls poured in from across Lebanon and abroad, from the Islamic Republic, Iraq, the United States, Canada, Britain, and Russia, everyone asking about the monumental event.

By 2:45 a.m., none of them had slept. She found Afif still awake and asked if he felt okay. He answered, “Death is easier than ten hours without news.”

“I asked if it was possible that Sayyed had survived and reached a secure location. He dismissed the thought: ‘People are dying of grief. He would never do that, nor accept keeping people worried without news about him.’ I realized then that we were clinging only to wishes,” she said.

Around 1 p.m. the following day, Afif called her again, his voice heavy with sorrow: “He is gone.” Tears flowed for the leader they had hoped would guide them until the very end.

“Though broken, Afif’s silence gave way to resolve. ‘We must continue,’ he said. ‘I will send you the statement, and at the first signal, we will distribute it,’” Sahili said.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., he called her once more: “Distribute it. Trust in God.”

“Within moments, the world erupted in mourning. Crowds filled the streets. I remained still, overwhelmed by the enormity of the tragedy. I held my phone close, covered my ears, and wept in silence. My tears felt unnecessary—for the entire world was already grieving him.”

Conveying the news 

Conveying that announcement was not easy. According to Rana, the statement written by Afif read like a testimony, “as though he were mourning the entire world in a single moment. He drafted and redrafted it, for the universe itself seemed folded into that paper. It was a bitter death, yet also an ascension to a more beautiful realm.”

Sahili quoted what Afif had said at the time: “The leader of the resistance attained what he had long desired—the highest aspiration. His love was expressed through sacrifice: he gave us his son Hadi, and now he offered himself as a martyr for the cause of Palestine, for Lebanon, and for the dignity of every honorable person on earth.

“Our mission has become one of dignity, revolution, and freedom. For it, we have given our children, our loved ones, our spouses, our very flesh and blood. We must continue in this spirit.”

Sahili described him as “a man of principle” who absorbed from his teacher, Sayyed Nasrallah, the meaning of extraordinary thought, inspiring those around him to express their views and granting them the right to be creative.

More defiant than ever

On September 29, just two days after the martyrdom of Sayyed Nasrallah, Afif asked me once again: “Rana, are you afraid?” Without hesitation, I replied: “Afraid? Haj Mohammad, the most precious of what we had, has become a martyr. Perhaps we can follow in his footsteps. I am now more determined and defiant than ever.”

At that moment, Afif wrote a few heartfelt words addressing Sayyed Nasrallah.

“I write to you in the most painful and tragic moments of my life. I wish death had taken my life, and perhaps I will soon follow him as a martyr, so that my soul may finally rest. I do not mourn myself, but life has lost its sweetness after you, my master, my beloved, my soul within me. Would that I had died before this and been forgotten,” he wrote.

“Yet, dear brothers—people of the pen, of thought, and of the blessed voice by God’s will—we must remain steadfast in the field, standing firm, holding fast to our resistance, our right, and our duty to defend our homeland and our people.”

A true companion

According to Sahili, Afif was a loyal friend, a trusted companion of Sayyed Nasrallah throughout the journey, and among the earliest voices of the resistance – a confidant of thought and spirit.

“He and Sayyed Hassan understood one another deeply; Sayyed would listen attentively to his opinions, awaiting his suggestions and vision, often finding in them the right course of action to be taken,” she told the Press TV website.

“Together, they wove history through political and media encounters. He took pride in his lifelong companion, openly declaring that their friendship dated back to their youth in Najaf. They shared stations in the South and the Bekaa, journeys side by side. Back in time, Sayyed Abbas had asked Haj Mohammad to accompany him in the car on the day he was assassinated. But fate intervened, and he had to continue the path and fulfill his duties until he finally rested on November 17, 2024.”

Sahili assured that the mission did not end with the martyrdom of Afif.

“We pledge that his school of thought will continue—with pride, honor, and resistance. We will inscribe for future generations that we are the nation of Sheikh Ragheb, Sayyed Musa, Sayyed Abbas, and Sayyed Nasrallah. We are the nation of Hezbollah, which follows the school of Imam Hussein. And nations do not die,” she added.

“He and Sayyed Hassan understood one another deeply; Sayyed would listen attentively to his opinions, awaiting his suggestions and vision, often finding in them the right course of action.”

Back in time, Sayyed Abbas, the founder of Hezbollah, had asked Afif to accompany him in the car on the day he was assassinated. But fate intervened, and he survived.

Powerful images, no need for words

In the days following the martyrdom of Sayyed Nasrallah, the Al-Sirat building, a religious, social, and cultural channel with no political affiliation, was targeted.

Sahili recalled that on that day, Hezbollah media relations organized a media tour to show the world how Israel sought to silence voices, images, and words, waging war against an entire society rather than against a military force, as it claimed.

She prepared a message of invitation and sent it to journalists, and the gathering began in front of a religious complex before moving to the site of the strike on Al-Sirat.

“Standing on the rubble, Haj Mohammad addressed everyone, declaring that the camera and the pen had become new victims of the Israeli enemy, which feared them, and that the targets were purely civilian,” she told the Press TV website.

“We continued the tour in the southern suburb, in front of the Sayyed al-Shuhada complex, where Israel had bombed several buildings. As we looked, children’s toys and schoolbooks lay scattered on the sidewalks, a stark reminder that the Israeli aggressors have never been, and will never be, human in their conduct.”

Sahili said the Hezbollah media relations wing was preparing for another press conference on the street where the scene itself would speak louder than any words.

“I described the sight I had seen earlier to Haj Mohammad, where we can hold the conference—massive buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment near the Golden Plaza Hotel, Rana explained, recalling what she had told Haj Mohamma.d It is a powerful image in itself. No banners are needed. The message is clear: despite destruction and Israeli arrogance, we will rise and prevail,” she said.

“We went there. The street was heavy with sorrow, but within minutes it got filled with cameras and journalists—more than 300 in attendance. The conference was extraordinary, restoring morale to all who watched on television. Many felt as though the Sayyed had returned once more, with his strength, courage, and sincerity.

“That day, Haj Mohammad was sharp-witted, eloquent, and firm in logic. It marked the beginning of press conferences that took place consecutively and told the world the truth, until the day Haj Mohammad was martyred.”

She hastened to add that when the news was confirmed on his martyrdom was confirmed, she sat on the floor, opened her phone, and resolved to write the obituary statement for her boss.

“I wrote it with tears and sighs, with the pain of a knife piercing the heart. It was a new responsibility placed upon my shoulders. Yet I knew I had to stand firm, just as Haj Mohammad did after the martyrdom of the Sayyed—he did not stop,” she said.

“Words faltered; neither the Arabic language nor my own state of mind could capture the depth of this loss. How could I describe Haj Mohammad — the brilliant media figure, the political and military leader — who, in his final days, led the nation to moral victory and carried the voice of the resistance and its operations into every home.”

In the name of God, we continue the path

Sahili said on that day, at around 11:20 p.m., a colleague called her to confirm that Afif had been found in the opposite building. His body had been thrown, covered by rubble.

“I wrote Haj Mohammad’s obituary with my soul. We had lost an exceptional leader, a historic teacher, and a fighter who never hesitated to offer ideas, stories, and defenses of the resistance and its history,” she said. 

“What was I to do when all the loved ones and leaders had been martyred? I thought of how Sayyed and Haj Mohammad would be pleased to see steadfastness. I realized that tears must not erase the strength of the fighters or their resolve. I had to stand on my feet and continue with what remained of me.”

She said on that day, she sent a single phrase to all journalists—a message that reassured them that they were still standing because the “journey had to continue.”

“The words I wrote were: 'In the name of God, we begin and continue the path.'"

Source: Press TV

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