Assassination of Abu Obaida

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Assassination of Abu Obaida
Part of the 2025 Gaza City offensive and the Gaza war
Rimal is located in the Gaza Strip
Rimal
Rimal
LocationRimal, Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Date30 August 2025
TargetAbu Obaida
Attack type
Airstrikes
Deaths11+
Injured20+
Perpetrator Israel Defense Forces

On 30 August 2025, Abu Obaida, a Palestinian militant and the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades was killed by Israeli airstrikes targeted at the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City.[1][2]

Background

[edit]
Main article: 2025 Gaza City offensive

Abu Obaida had served as the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades since 2007. He was described as "the central figure of al-Qassam's media campaign."[3] He was one of Hamas's best known representatives in the Arab world, frequently appearing in videos disseminated by Hamas masked in a red-checkered Palestinian keffiyeh and threatened Israel with dire consequences. Israel and the United States named him Hudhayfa al-Kahlut, although this was never confirmed by Hamas.[4]

Amid the 2025 Gaza City offensive, Abu Obaida threatened Israel on 29 August that it would "pay the price" with "its soldiers' blood" if it sought to conquer Gaza City.[4]

Assassination

[edit]

11 people, including children, were reportedly killed in the strikes, while another 20 were injured. The attack was targeted at an apartment building which Obaida was taking shelter in.[5] Times of Israel reported that Abu Obaida's wife and children were with him inside his apartment at the time of the Israeli attack and that it is "likely" that his "entire family" was killed.[6]

Five missiles struck the second and third floors of the six-story apartment in the Rimal neighborhood. Reportedly, hundreds of thousands of dollars flew in the air following the strikes, causing large sums to be stolen before being recovered by Hamas.[7]

Children casualties

[edit]

Witnesses on the ground reported children being killed and injured.[7] Al Jazeera English posted a video of the aftermath, showing young children maimed by the attack.[8]

Reactions

[edit]

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz claimed that the Israel Defense Forces had killed Abu Obaida, calling it a "flawless execution." The IDF and Shin Bet 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" and said that Abu Obaida "served as the public face of the Hamas terrorist organization" and "disseminated Hamas' propaganda."[7]

Hamas has not commented on the claim or confirmed the assassination.[4]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Over 15 Killed in Gaza City, One Day After Israel Ends Daily Pauses for Aid". The New York Times. 30 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  2. ^ "Hamas' Ezzedine Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida killed in Israeli strike". Al Arabiya English. 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  3. ^ Agathocleous, Sophia, and Erwin van Veen. "Hamas 'From the Heart of Battle': Analyzing Abu Obaida's Discourse." The Cairo Review of Global Affairs. September 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Israel Says It Killed Abu Obeida, Spokesman for Hamas's Armed Wing". The New York Times. 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Infamous Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida said targeted and likely killed in IDF strike on Gaza". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  6. ^ Yohanan, Nurit (31 August 2025). "Report: Hamas kept residents away from targeted area after Abu Obeida's killing". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida killed in Gaza, Israel says". BBC News. 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Strikes maim children as Israel says Qassam spokesman Abu Obeida targeted". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 1 September 2025.