Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, has been killed in an air strike in Gaza Metropolis, Israel has mentioned.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz congratulated the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) and Israel’s safety company, Shin Wager, for the “flawless execution” in a submit on X.
He gave no element on the time or location of the operation, however the IDF earlier mentioned its plane attacked “a key terrorist” within the al-Rimal neighbourhood on Saturday, prompting reviews in Israeli media that Obeida had been the goal.
Hamas has not confirmed his loss of life. The Palestinian armed group earlier mentioned dozens of civilians had been killed and injured in Israeli strikes on a residential constructing within the district.
Katz warned on Sunday that many extra of Obeida’s “prison companions” can be focused with “the intensification of the marketing campaign in Gaza” – a reference to a just lately accepted Israeli plan to grab management of Gaza Metropolis.
Individually, the IDF and Shin Wager provided extra particulars about Saturday’s strikes that focused the Hamas spokesman.
They mentioned in a joint assertion that the operation had been “made attainable as a consequence of prior intelligence gathered by [Shin Bet] and the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate” that had recognized his hiding place.
Obeida was among the many few remaining senior members of Hamas’s army wing from earlier than its lethal 7 October 2023 assault on southern Israel.
5 missiles struck the second and third ground of the six-storey residence within the al-Rimal neighbourhood constructing concurrently from two completely different instructions.
The flat that was focused had been used as a dentist’s surgical procedure. Witnesses reported seeing a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} flying within the air after the strikes, with giant sums stolen by locals however later recovered by Hamas.
The joint assertion mentioned Obeida “served as the general public face of the Hamas terrorist group” and “disseminated Hamas’ propaganda”.
Over the previous few years, Obeida – believed to be about 40 years previous – delivered a variety of lengthy diatribes in opposition to Israel on behalf of Hamas’s army wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.
All the time masked in a Palestinian scarf, he turned an idol to Hamas supporters all through the Center East.
In what could have been his remaining speech on Friday, Obeida mentioned the destiny of remaining Israeli hostages can be the identical as that of Hamas fighters, warning Israel in opposition to its deliberate invasion of Gaza Metropolis.
Native journalists reported that a minimum of seven individuals had been killed and 20 injured within the strikes on the densely populated al-Rimal neighbourhood, with youngsters among the many casualties.
Mohammed Emad, who runs a barbershop simply 100m (328ft) from the location, instructed the BBC that “the blasts had been terrifying – I could not transfer for greater than an hour”.
He added: “I am unable to consider I am nonetheless alive. I noticed injured youngsters with blood masking their faces, and other people had been operating in each route as if the world had ended.”
Footage verified by the BBC of the aftermath of the strikes exhibits terrified residents fleeing into the streets.
Blood will be seen flowing from a physique lined by material, whereas an injured little one is carried away by a person.
The IDF mentioned that previous to the assault “many steps had been taken to scale back the possibility of harming civilians, together with using precision weapons, aerial observations, and extra intelligence info”.
BBC Information has been unable to independently confirm the claims of both the IDF or Hamas.
In early August, Israel’s safety cupboard accepted a plan to grab management of Gaza Metropolis in a recent offensive, with the said goal of bringing the 22-month-long struggle to an finish.
The UN has repeatedly warned {that a} full army takeover would danger “catastrophic penalties” for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The UK’s ambassador to Israel has mentioned it will be “an enormous mistake”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to defeat Hamas and defied worldwide criticism of his plans to develop the struggle.
Israel’s army operation in Gaza started in response to the Hamas-led 7 October assault, through which about 1,200 individuals had been killed and 251 others had been taken hostage. Since then, greater than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed, in response to the Hamas-run Gaza well being ministry.
Whereas the operation to seize Gaza Metropolis has but to start in earnest, Israeli assaults on the town – the place almost 1,000,000 individuals dwell – have been ongoing.
One native resident instructed the BBC that the identical residence constructing struck on Saturday had already been hit in an earlier Israeli air raid months in the past.
The Israeli army has mentioned it plans to evacuate Gaza Metropolis’s total inhabitants and transfer it to shelters within the south earlier than troops transfer in. Most of Gaza’s inhabitants has already been displaced many instances in the course of the battle.
Greater than 90% of the town’s properties are estimated to be broken or destroyed, and the healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene programs have collapsed.
Final week, conditions of famine were confirmed in Gaza City and its surrounding areas for the first time.
