Israel confirmed on Sunday (August 31) that the previous night, they launched a drone strike in the northern part of Gaza City, killing the long-time spokesman of Hamas’ armed faction “Kassam Brigades,” Hudayfa al-Kahlout, also known as “Abu Obeida.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both stated that this operation dealt a significant blow to Hamas’ propaganda center.
According to the Israeli military statement, this targeted operation, termed as a “precision removal,” was carried out in collaboration by the Shin Bet operations room, the Southern Command, and the Military Intelligence Division. The operation accurately targeted a residential building where the target was hiding, using high-precision ammunition and aerial surveillance to minimize civilian casualties.
Palestinian official media outlet WAFA reported that the airstrike resulted in at least one death and multiple injuries, while local sources in Gaza claimed that seven people had lost their lives.
Katz posted on social media platform X, stating that Obeida had “gone to hell with other members of the axis of evil” and warned that Hamas would face greater setbacks in the future.
Obeida had served as the spokesman for Hamas’ military faction since 2004 and gained notoriety in 2006 after announcing the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He consistently appeared in the media with a masked image, being viewed as the most emblematic “face” of Hamas.
The Israeli military stated that for over a decade, he led the promotion and psychological warfare of Hamas’ military faction, releasing numerous propaganda videos, including footage of the violence on October 7, 2023, and the Israeli hostage video, spreading provocative content in the Arab world.
Just the day before the attack, Obeida had threatened that if the Israeli military expanded its operations, there would be a higher risk of more soldiers being captured and warned that Israeli hostages were being held in frontline war zones, facing the same life-threatening risks as Hamas militants.
Recently, Israel has launched a series of strikes targeting senior Hamas and related organization leaders. Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and military leader Mohammed Deif among others have been killed.
Additionally, Israel had killed Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi, the prime minister of the Houthi armed government in a Yemeni airstrike, displaying systematic strikes against Iran-backed “axis of evil.”
Netanyahu stated at a Sunday cabinet meeting that this operation had demonstrated the military’s determination to “strike Hamas and rescue hostages.” He emphasized that besides Hamas leadership, recent Israeli airstrikes on the Houthi armed group in Yemen had also dealt significant blows to their government and military leadership, showing Israel’s continuous effort to weaken the so-called “axis of resistance.”
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir pointed out that killing Obeida was just a part of “a series of major operations,” and they would continue to target Hamas and its overseas leadership.
With the Israeli military consecutively conducting targeted killings of Hamas and Houthi organization leaders in Gaza and Yemen, the Netanyahu government has moved cabinet meetings to a secret secure location to prevent retaliatory attacks.