Jerusalem/Gaza, September 2: Israel said on Saturday that its forces killed Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, in an airstrike on Gaza City, though the Palestinian group has not confirmed his death.
The Israeli military and security agency Shin Bet said the strike, carried out with five missiles on a residential block in the densely populated al-Rimal neighbourhood, was based on prior intelligence. Defence Minister Israel Katz hailed the “flawless execution,” saying more Hamas leaders would be targeted as Israel steps up its campaign in Gaza.
Local journalists reported at least seven people were killed and 20 injured, including children, in the attack. Witnesses described terrifying blasts that shook the neighbourhood. “I saw injured children with blood covering their faces, and people running in every direction as if the world had ended,” said Mohammed Emad, a resident who works nearby.
Abu Obeida, believed to be about 40, was among the few senior members of Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades still active from before the Oct. 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage. Masked in a Palestinian scarf, he was the group’s public face, delivering lengthy speeches denouncing Israel and warning against its planned ground offensive into Gaza City.
Israel’s military said measures were taken to limit civilian harm, including use of precision weapons and aerial surveillance. The flat struck was operating as a dentist’s surgery, and witnesses said large amounts of cash were blown out of the building, some of which was later recovered by Hamas.
The strike comes as Israel prepares for a ground operation to seize Gaza City, home to nearly a million people. The United Nations has warned such an offensive could have catastrophic consequences for civilians and hostages still held in Gaza.
Since the war began, more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas despite mounting international concern over the humanitarian toll, with more than 90% of Gaza City’s homes damaged or destroyed and basic services in collapse.
