Israel on Sunday announced that Abu Obeida, the longtime spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in an airstrike on Gaza City. Hamas has not confirmed his death.
Defence Minister Israel Katz described the operation as a “flawless execution” carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in coordination with the Shin Bet security agency. Military officials said the strike was based on intelligence that identified Obeida’s location.
The attack hit a six-storey residential building in the al-Rimal neighbourhood, with five missiles launched simultaneously. Local reporters said at least seven civilians were killed and about 20 others injured, including children. Hamas condemned the strike as an attack on a civilian area, claiming “dozens” of people were affected.
Witnesses recounted scenes of panic and destruction. “The blasts were terrifying, I couldn’t move for more than an hour,” said Mohammed Emad, a barber nearby. “I saw injured children with blood covering their faces, and people running in every direction as if the world had ended.”
Obeida, believed to be about 40, had served as the masked public face of Hamas’s military wing for years. He was among the few senior figures still alive after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of more than 250 hostages. In what may have been his final speech last Friday, he warned that Israeli hostages would face the same fate as Hamas fighters if Israel pressed ahead with its planned offensive into Gaza City.
The IDF said precision-guided weapons were used and “many steps were taken to reduce civilian harm,” though verified footage showed children wounded and residents fleeing collapsed buildings.
The strike comes as Israel prepares for a full-scale ground operation to seize Gaza City, where nearly one million civilians remain. The United Nations and foreign governments, including the UK, have warned that such an assault could have “catastrophic consequences” for both civilians and hostages.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began 22 months ago. Israel has defended its campaign as essential to defeating Hamas and ensuring its security.
