Israeli officials ‘optimistic’ that Hamas military spokesman Abu Obaida was eliminated in airstrike

Always appearing masked in his televised messages, he has become a key figure in the group’s propaganda, issuing warnings and threats against Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli security sources said Saturday that a precision airstrike in Gaza City may have struck Abu Obaida, the longtime spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing.

While his death has not been confirmed, officials described the initial assessment as “cautiously optimistic,” suggesting that the outcome of the operation appeared favorable.

The Israel Defense Forces, working alongside the Shin Bet security agency, said the strike was directed by Military Intelligence and carried out under the authority of the Southern Command.

The target was in the Rimal neighborhood, a central district of Gaza City. According to officials, the attack relied on real-time intelligence and precision munitions in order to limit collateral damage.

Abu Obaida, whose real name is Hudayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, has been the public face of Hamas’s military branch for years.

Always appearing masked in his televised messages, he has become a key figure in the group’s propaganda, issuing warnings and threats against Israel.

At the beginning of the current war, the IDF disclosed his true identity and accused him of hiding in tunnels and using Gaza’s civilian population as cover.

Hamas responded by claiming that the Israeli strike hit a residential building in Rimal, causing “dozens of deaths and injuries.”

In a statement, the group accused Israel of waging a campaign to “eradicate Gaza City” and called on the United Nations and Arab states to intervene.

Israeli officials rejected those claims, insisting that the military took “numerous steps” to reduce civilian casualties, including aerial surveillance and careful targeting.

They accused Hamas of operating from civilian sites and embedding its leadership in residential areas in violation of international law.

This is not the first attempt to eliminate Abu Obaida. Earlier this year, Israeli forces targeted a site in Khan Younis where he was believed to be present with Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas commander who was killed in that strike.

The latest operation comes as Israel prepares for a wider push into Gaza City. On Friday, seven Israeli soldiers were wounded when their armored personnel carrier was hit by an explosive device in the Zeitoun neighborhood.

If confirmed, Abu Obaida’s death would represent one of Israel’s most significant successes against Hamas leadership since the war began.