Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Sep 1: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday announced that the military had targeted Abu Obeida, the masked spokesman of Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.

“We have struck the Hamas spokesman, the spokesman for this criminal and murderous organisation, Abu Obeida,” Netanyahu said during a government meeting, as quoted by AFP. “I hope he is no longer with us, but I notice that there is no one on the Hamas side to clarify this matter,” he added.

Defence Minister Israel Katz also confirmed the strike, declaring in a post on X: “Hamas terror spokesperson Abu Obeida was eliminated in Gaza.” He congratulated Israeli security forces for the “flawless execution.”

For years, Abu Obeida had been the public face of Hamas’s military wing, appearing in video statements clad in fatigues and a red keffiyeh scarf concealing his identity.

The announcement comes nearly 23 months into Israel’s war in Gaza, during which much of Hamas’s senior leadership has been killed. Key figures eliminated include political chief Ismail Haniyeh, military commander Mohammed Deif, and Yahya Sinwar, accused of orchestrating the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Earlier on Sunday, Hamas itself confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, believed to be its leader in Gaza, months after Israel claimed he was killed in an air strike.

The October 2023 assault by Hamas on southern Israel left 1,219 people dead, mostly civilians, while 251 were kidnapped. Forty-seven remain in captivity, with around 20 thought to be alive. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 63,459 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, figures the UN has described as reliable.