Israel has announced the killing of Abu Obeida, the masked spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, in an airstrike on Gaza City. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency said the strike targeted a key figure in the al-Qassam Brigades, describing the operation as “flawlessly executed.”
Defence Minister Israel Katz congratulated security forces, warning that more senior Hamas figures would be targeted as Israel intensifies its campaign in Gaza. The strike comes ahead of a planned Israeli operation to seize control of Gaza City, a move the UN and Western diplomats have cautioned could trigger catastrophic consequences.
The IDF said Obeida’s hiding place was identified through joint intelligence gathering, with five missiles striking a six-storey building in the al-Rimal neighborhood. The targeted flat, reportedly used as a dentist’s surgery, was destroyed. Witnesses said large sums of money scattered during the blast, some later recovered by Hamas members.
Hamas has not confirmed Obeida’s death but accused Israel of striking a residential area, killing at least seven people and injuring 20, including children. BBC News has been unable to independently verify either side’s claims.
Obeida, believed to be about 40, was one of Hamas’s few remaining senior leaders from before the group’s October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, which left about 1,200 people dead and 251 hostages taken. Known for his televised statements while masked in a Palestinian scarf, he became an icon among Hamas supporters across the Middle East. In what may have been his final speech on Friday, he warned Israel that hostages’ fate would mirror that of Hamas fighters if the planned Gaza City invasion went ahead.
The conflict has since claimed more than 63,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. With over 90% of homes in Gaza City damaged or destroyed and essential systems in collapse, Israel has pledged to evacuate the city’s population to shelters in the south before its offensive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press on with the campaign despite mounting international criticism, insisting that Israel will defeat Hamas.
