Khiyam, Shebaa, and Bint Jbeil: Fortresses Exhausting the Occupation Army, Burning Its Tanks, and Killing Its Soldiers /  The Resistance Presents Its Media Lion, Afif, as a Martyr on Nasrallah’s Path

 November 18, 2024

The political editor wrote

Lebanon enters this week with a positive stance toward the American draft proposal for a ceasefire on the southern front. According to informed sources, Lebanon has submitted its response after all concerned parties, including Hezbollah, reviewed the draft. Hezbollah conveyed its remarks to Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who, authorised by both the Resistance and the government, finalised Lebanon’s official response.

The Lebanese reply emphasised adherence to UN Resolution 1701 as the sole framework for the ceasefire and rejected any Israeli attempts to secure privileges violating Lebanon’s sovereignty by land, sea, or air – privileges the occupation has unlawfully retained for 18 years. Sources noted that the Lebanese response raised clarifying questions on three points:
• The role of the proposed committee: Why it is composed of pro-Israeli international political factions and how it aligns with Resolution 1701 without involving the UN Security Council?
• The right to self-defence: The rationale for explicitly including this right when it is already an established norm, and who would define its activation criteria?
• Guarantees to the occupation: Concerns over alleged U.S. guarantees to the occupying entity, their validity, and whether they undermine Lebanese sovereignty, contradicting the impartiality required of a mediator.

On the battlefield developments continue to apply pressure on the occupying entity, forcing it to abandon its lofty preconditions for a ceasefire. The occupation army has repeatedly failed to make the desired breakthroughs on the southern front, where the resistance has heroically thwarted its efforts.

Fierce battles have erupted in Shebaa in the western sector, Bint Jbeil in the central sector, and Khiyam in the eastern sector. During these confrontations, five occupation tanks were destroyed, leaving dozens of soldiers and officers killed or wounded.

In Beirut, the Resistance mourns the loss of one of its most prominent media and political leaders. The occupying entity assassinated Haj Mohammad Afif, Hezbollah’s Media Relations Officer, in an airstrike on the Baath Party headquarters in Ras al-Nabaa. Known for his integrity, eloquence, and composure, Afif was a towering figure in the media field. Following the martyrdom of Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Afif’s leadership and courage became emblematic of the resistance’s resilience. His role as a “lion of press conferences” in the heart of Dahiyeh filled a significant void in both political and media arenas, complementing the steadfastness of fighters on the frontlines. His martyrdom symbolises yet another sacrifice on the resistance’s path to liberation and victory.