The IDF and Shin Bet launched a precision strike in Gaza City aimed at Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida, with Israeli officials suggesting survival was “impossible” if he was present.
Tensions in Gaza City escalated Saturday evening as Israeli aircraft struck a key Hamas target, with intelligence pointing to Abu Obaida, the group’s masked military spokesman, as the intended mark.
The Hamas terror organization issued a furious condemnation of the attack, claiming that dozens were killed and injured, though it did not confirm Obaida’s status.
A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, was blunt:
“If he was there, there’s no chance he would have survived the assassination attempt this time.”
According to the official, intelligence pinpointing Obaida’s location surfaced Friday night, creating a narrow window of opportunity at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. He emphasized that the strike would not have been authorized had hostages been detected in the vicinity.
The operation followed Obaida’s own threats on Friday, when he warned that Israel’s planned offensive in Gaza City would put hostages at risk.
“Any hostage killed in the strikes will be publicly named and photographed,” he declared.
The joint IDF-ISA announcement underscored the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and intelligence verification to minimize civilian casualties.
“Terrorist organizations in Gaza systematically violate international law, using civilian infrastructure and populations as human shields,” the statement read.
While Hamas has sought to project resilience, the targeting of Obaida—long seen as the shadowy voice of Hamas’s military wing—marks one of Israel’s most daring attempts yet to decapitate the group’s propaganda and command structure.
His fate remains uncertain, but Israeli officials believe that if Obaida was indeed present, his reign of televised threats may have ended inside Gaza City’s ruins.Tensions in Gaza City escalated Saturday evening as Israeli aircraft struck a key Hamas target, with intelligence pointing to Abu Obaida, the group’s masked military spokesman, as the intended mark.
The Hamas terror organization issued a furious condemnation of the attack, claiming that dozens were killed and injured, though it did not confirm Obaida’s status.
A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, was blunt:
“If he was there, there’s no chance he would have survived the assassination attempt this time.”
According to the official, intelligence pinpointing Obaida’s location surfaced Friday night, creating a narrow window of opportunity at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. He emphasized that the strike would not have been authorized had hostages been detected in the vicinity.
The operation followed Obaida’s own threats on Friday, when he warned that Israel’s planned offensive in Gaza City would put hostages at risk.
“Any hostage killed in the strikes will be publicly named and photographed,” he declared.
The joint IDF-ISA announcement underscored the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and intelligence verification to minimize civilian casualties.
“Terrorist organizations in Gaza systematically violate international law, using civilian infrastructure and populations as human shields,” the statement read.
While Hamas has sought to project resilience, the targeting of Obaida—long seen as the shadowy voice of Hamas’s military wing—marks one of Israel’s most daring attempts yet to decapitate the group’s propaganda and command structure.
His fate remains uncertain, but Israeli officials believe that if Obaida was indeed present, his reign of televised threats may have ended inside Gaza City’s ruins.
