Israel Says Hamas Voice Silenced in Deadly Strike – But Is Abu Obeida Really Dead?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel had targeted Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.

“We struck the Hamas spokesman, Abu Obeida, the mouthpiece of this criminal and murderous group,” Netanyahu told a government meeting. “I hope he is no longer alive, but Hamas has not confirmed anything yet.”

Abu Obeida has for years appeared in Hamas video statements, dressed in military clothes and covering his face with a red scarf.

Israel Believes Abu Obeida is Killed; Hamas Yet to React

For nearly two years, Gaza has faced heavy war. Israel has killed many senior Hamas leaders since the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which left 1,219 people dead, mostly civilians. The militants also took 251 hostages. Today, 47 remain in Gaza, but only about 20 are believed to still be alive.

In response, Israel launched a massive offensive that, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, has killed at least 63,459 Palestinians, most of them civilians. The United Nations treats these numbers as reliable.

Hamas has already lost top figures, including political chief Ismail Haniyeh, military commander Mohammed Deif, and Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, who Israel says planned the October 7 attack. On Sunday, Hamas also confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, Yahya’s brother and its presumed leader in Gaza, more than three months after Israel claimed to have killed him in an airstrike.

Humanitarian Crisis Worsens in Gaza Amid Israel’s Blockade

Earlier, Israeli forces said they had recovered the body of hostage Ilan Weiss and the remains of another, still unidentified. Netanyahu’s office confirmed the recovery, though the army did not say where in Gaza they were found.

Israel has now declared Gaza City a dangerous combat zone as it begins the early stages of a new military offensive. The fighting has left destruction everywhere. Gaza’s Civil Defence reported that in the Zeitoun neighborhood alone, more than 1,500 homes have been destroyed since Israel’s ground assault began earlier this month. “No buildings are left standing,” it said.

Meanwhile, civilians are suffering badly. Hunger has hit the elderly especially hard. In Gaza’s nursing homes, caregivers say they have almost no food for their patients. Some elderly people are so weak they cannot move from their beds.

The war shows no signs of ending, as Israel pushes forward with its goal of eradicating Hamas while Gaza’s population faces daily loss and hardship.

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