Israel has killed many of Hamas’ top military and political leadership.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip—Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Sunday that a spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, Abu Obeida, was killed in Gaza over the weekend.
Obeida’s last statement was on Friday as Israel began the initial stages of a new military offensive in Gaza City, declaring the area a combat zone. Hamas has not commented on Israel’s claim.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said Israel had attacked Obeida, the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, but did not know whether he had been killed.
“I do notice there is no one addressing this question on the Hamas side,” Netanyahu told ministers at a weekly cabinet meeting.
Obeida is the latest Hamas representative targeted and killed by Israel as it attempts to dismantle the terrorist group’s military capacity and prevent an attack like Oct. 7, 2023, when militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Israel has killed many of Hamas’ top military and political leadership.
Speaking at the start of the cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu also said Sunday an Israeli airstrike earlier this week had "eliminated" senior Houthi officials.
The Houthis had said Saturday that an Israeli airstrike killed the prime minister of the rebel-controlled government, Ahmed al-Rahawi, in Yemen's capital Sanaa,
He was the most senior Houthi official killed in the Israeli-U.S. campaign against the Iranian-backed rebels.
Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in Thursday's strike in Sanaa along with a number of ministers, the rebels said in a statement.
