Infamous Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida likely killed in IDF strike on Gaza

[Twiglets1]

Times of Israel:

The notorious spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing in the Gaza Strip was said to have been the target of an Israeli airstrike on Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet said in a statement on Saturday evening that they had carried out an airstrike on a senior Hamas operative in the Gaza City area, in the northern Gaza Strip.

While the statement did not provide the identity of the targeted terror operative, multiple Hebrew media outlets reported that it was the longtime Hamas spokesman, Hudayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, more widely known by his nom de guerre Abu Obeida.

Abu Obeida is always masked in his statements to the media, and he is viewed as something of a symbol in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in the Arab world. During the current war, the IDF published an estimation of what his face looks like.

On Sunday morning, the Saudi channel Al-Arabiya quoted a Palestinian source as saying that he had been killed, along with all the other people who were in the apartment at the time.

The source said that senior Hamas officials and his family members confirmed his death after examining the body.

www.timesofisrael.com/infamous-hamas-spokesman-abu-obeida-said-targeted-and-likely-killed-in-idf-strike-on-gaza/

From the same source:

Hamas swiftly shot down reports of Abu Obeida’s death and published a statement warning that the rumors were simply an attempt at “psychological warfare,” Jordanian news outlet Roya News reported.

According to the news outlet, Hamas warned Palestinians against spreading rumors of his death, as it would assist Israel in its “deliberate” psychological campaign and undermine public trust and unity.

Abu Obeida has been the spokesman of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades since 2004. He rose to prominence in 2006 as he announced the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

He has since been the face of the terror group’s higher-profile statements and its psychological warfare.

Abu Obeida’s last statement was issued on Friday evening, warning Israel that its planned offensive to conquer Gaza City would subject hostages in the area to the “same risks” as the terror group’s fighters.

Well that's some good news.

In related news:

Hamas on Sunday confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, its presumed leader in Gaza, more than three months after Israel said it had killed him in an air strike.

Pictures released by the Palestinian Islamist group on Saturday showed him alongside other political and military leaders described as “martyrs of the military council.”

Mohammed Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, accused by Israel of masterminding the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

He reportedly led the Al-Qassam Brigades’ military council after the death of commander Mohammed Deif.

www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/hamas-confirms-death-of-gaza-chief-mohammed-sinwar/ar-AA1LzC45

Yes ... some extremely evil Hamas leaders getting killed by the IDF.

Great news, and on the elimination of the Houthi officials too! Hopefully the rockets will stop,

Some people seem to be quite disappointed, trying to frame it as Israel assassinated the Yemeni government for no reason cos they’re EVIL of course, with people having to point out they weren’t the Yemeni government!

Shows how much they know about what they’re talking about, the same as with Hezbollah when there was -faux naivety— ignorance of why Israel attacked Lebanon,

Quite funny really

In a post on X, Katz wrote that the longtime spokesman “was sent to meet all the eliminated members of the axis of evil from Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen at the bottom of hell.”

“Soon, as the campaign over Gaza intensifies,” he promised, “he will meet many more of his partners in crime there — Hamas murderers and rapists.”

Shortly after Katz’s remarks, the IDF issued a statement confirming that Abu Obeida, whom it called “the face of the terrorist organization,” had indeed been the target of Saturday’s strike.

“The operation was conducted jointly from the Shin Bet’s operations war room, in cooperation with the Southern Command, and was made possible thanks to prior intelligence gathered by the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence, which pointed to the hideout where the terrorist was located,” the IDF statement said.

The military said that for the past decade, Abu Obeida “was responsible for the propaganda apparatus of Hamas’s military wing. In this role, he oversaw spokesperson operations across brigades and battalions, coordinated between political media elements and the military wing, and was the senior figure setting propaganda policy.”

The Hamas leadership, The Houthis leadership, etc, all extremists who really do nothing to help their people are gradually being eliminated.

I wish Hamas would go and let their people pick another leadership. Is it just the western support keeping them hanging on now?

The BBC are reporting that Abu Obeida was killed in an aerial attack in Gaza City. They say that he was "among the few remaining senior members of Hamas's military wing from before its deadly 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel".

Separately, the IDF and Shin Bet offered more details about Saturday's strikes that targeted the Hamas spokesman. They said in a joint statement that the operation had been "made possible due to prior intelligence gathered by [Shin Bet] and the IDF's Intelligence Directorate" that had identified his hiding place.

Five missiles struck the second and third floor of the six-storey apartment in the al-Rimal neighbourhood building simultaneously from two different directions.

The flat that was targeted had been used as a dentist's surgery. Witnesses reported seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars flying in the air after the strikes, with large sums stolen by locals but later recovered by Hamas.

The joint statement said Obeida "served as the public face of the Hamas terrorist organization" and "disseminated Hamas' propaganda".

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm214r5rd29o

As an aside people keep telling us the whole of gaza has been reduced to rubble and dust but yet they were hiding in a 6-storey building.

Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars flying in the air after the strikes, with large sums stolen by locals but later recovered by Hamas.

Some people don't have enough food to eat in Gaza, while Hamas are hoarding hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Where's the outrage about that?

I'm sure the 'recovery' was done nicely too by those lovely Hamas chaps.

There won't be any outrage. We can guarantee that.

Yes "recovered by Hamas" is a nice way of putting it. They were right there then, as soon as the money was visible so were they.

Hamas have predictably denied that Abu Obeida was one of those killed, so even he will be on their list of civilian casualties from the incident.

Of course.

Was there really hundreds of thousands of dollars flying in the air? Not read that or seen that before!

Only Hamas know for sure!

According to the BBC report, yes.

"The flat that was targeted had been used as a dentist's surgery. Witnesses reported seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars flying in the air after the strikes, with large sums stolen by locals but later recovered by Hamas".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm214r5rd29o

Wow, Hamas, the gift that keeps on giving! They really are the outs aren't they. Almost feels like they invite strikes in areas to gain most civilian injuries. Meanwhile, shafting their people by stealing money meant for them but not only not allowing people to leave but encouraging them to stay to become martyred. Hamas need to be removed for any true movement forward without hatred.

Clearly targeting the Hamas leader.

"Separately, the IDF and Shin Bet offered more details about Saturday's strikes that targeted the Hamas spokesman.

They said in a joint statement that the operation had been "made possible due to prior intelligence gathered by [Shin Bet] and the IDF's Intelligence Directorate" that had identified his hiding place.

Obeida was among the few remaining senior members of Hamas's military wing from before its deadly 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel.

Five missiles struck the second and third floor of the six-storey apartment in the al-Rimal neighbourhood building simultaneously from two different directions.

The flat that was targeted had been used as a dentist's surgery. Witnesses reported seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars flying in the air after the strikes, with large sums stolen by locals but later recovered by Hamas.

The joint statement said Obeida "served as the public face of the Hamas terrorist organization" and "disseminated Hamas' propaganda".

Over the past few years, Obeida - believed to be about 40 years old - delivered a number of long diatribes against Israel on behalf of Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.

Always masked in a Palestinian scarf, he became an idol to Hamas supporters throughout the Middle East.

In what may have been his final speech on Friday, Obeida said the fate of remaining Israeli hostages would be the same as that of Hamas fighters, warning Israel against its planned invasion of Gaza City."

They are absolutely vile.

They do need to be removed, whatever else happens.

And another lead terrorist bites the dust.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-866150

What is the head of the Mujahideen doing in Gaza? It’s almost as if any Islamist extremist is welcome there?

Good.

May Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, and the rest of their victims rest a little easier now, and Yarden and the other victims families have some small comfort.

Came across this earlier.

Telephone call (IDF voice disguised) with a Gazan who say Hamas is preventing them evacuating from Gaza City

https://x.com/IDF/status/1963204473108455750

This has been known about all through the war and I have seen several similar recordings with Gazans saying the same thing.

Why are the ‘unbiased’ MSM not countering allegations of ‘targeting civilians’ with this side of the story?

Sorry it was a COGAT officer not IDF.