Hamas Spokesman Abu Obaida Killed in Israeli Airstrike: Israel

Darwin, September 1 — Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has claimed that Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.

In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, Gallant wrote, “Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of Hamas in Gaza, has been eliminated.” He labeled Hamas as a “terrorist organization” and congratulated the Israeli forces for carrying out what he called a “precise elimination operation.”

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that one of the primary objectives of the ongoing military operation in Gaza was to eliminate Obaida. However, at the time, he could not confirm whether Obaida had been killed. In a sarcastic remark, Netanyahu said, “We hope he’s no longer among us.”

According to Middle East Eye, Abu Obaida was the spokesperson of Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. He was a familiar figure in international media, regularly appearing in the group’s video messages. To conceal his identity, he always wore a red keffiyeh and military uniform.

Over the past two years, most senior Hamas leaders have reportedly been killed in Israeli strikes. These include Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political wing; Mohammed Deif, commander of the military wing; and the top leader Yahya Sinwar.

On Sunday, Hamas also confirmed the death of Gaza’s military commander, Mohammed Sinwar, who was killed in an airstrike three months ago. He was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the alleged mastermind of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Mohammed Sinwar had taken over Hamas leadership in Gaza following Yahya’s death at the hands of Israeli forces in Rafah last year.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been carrying out relentless air and ground assaults in Gaza.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 63,459 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, most of whom are civilians. The United Nations has stated that this death toll is consistent with its own estimates and considered credible by their standards.