Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday claimed that Abu Obeida, the masked spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, was killed in an airstrike on Gaza City this weekend even as he praised the IDF and Shin Bet for the operation, The Associated Press reported.
According to Times of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting, “We have struck the Hamas spokesman, the spokesman for … Abu Obeida,” while also adding that he was not yet certain of the outcome. “I hope he is no longer with us,” he reportedly said.
The Operation and Casualties
According to Reuters, Israel targetted and potentially killed Abu Obeida as Gaza health authorities said that at least 15 people, including five children, lost their lives in the airstrike. The operation, the report said, took place in a residential neighbourhood in northern Gaza City.
Who Was Abu Obeida?
Reports suggest that Abu Obeida, whose real name is Hudayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, had been the public face of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades – Hamas’s armed wing – for nearly two decades. He regularly appeared masked in propaganda videos and was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for reportedly leading the Palestinian militant group’s cyber influence operations.
In his final recorded message on Friday, Obeida had warned Israel that any offensive in Gaza City would put the hostages at risk, as reported by Reuters.
Humanitarian Fallout Amid Escalating Offensive
The latest airstrike came as Israel is ramping up its offensive on Gaza City, which it deems as Hamas’s last stronghold. According to the report, Sunday alone saw at least 30 people killed in nearby neighborhoods due to intensified air and tank strikes. Civilians, too were, reportedly forced west as aid pauses end.
What’s Next?
Hamas has so far not confirmed Abu Obeida’s death. The group has previously dismissed death rumors as “psychological warfare”, per Times of Israel.
Meanwhile, displaced Palestinians are facing dire conditions in Gaza City, where famine has been declared and infrastructure has seemingly collapsed.
