Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Sunday the killing of Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, in Gaza.
The Israeli army later stated in a statement that the operation took place on Saturday.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the army had targeted "Abu Obeida."
This came at the start of a cabinet meeting, according to the Israeli Walla news website. Neither Hamas nor the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades have yet commented.
Netanyahu said, "The IDF targeted the spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and we are awaiting the results of the attack." The Israeli prime minister continued, "Perhaps there is no one in Hamas currently announcing the killing of Abu Obeida."
He explained that Abu Obeida was targeted "in a joint operation carried out by the IDF and the Shin Bet internal security service," adding, "We still do not know the final outcome, and I hope he is no longer with us."
The private Israeli Channel 12 reported, "Israel has indications that Abu Obeida has indeed been eliminated, but at this stage there is no final confirmation." For its part, the private Israeli Channel 14 reported that "Israel has confirmed the final elimination of Abu Obeida during an airstrike by our forces in the Gaza Strip." It stated that Abu Obeida was inside a building near a bakery in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City at the time of his attack.
On Saturday, the official Israeli Channel 14 reported that "the Israeli army attempted to assassinate Abu Obeida in an airstrike in the Gaza area."
Over the months of war in Gaza, Abu Obeida appeared occasionally in audio and video, sometimes through audio recordings or written statements, speaking about operations carried out by Hamas fighters against the Israeli army. Abu Obeida repeatedly threatened the Israeli forces advancing into the Gaza Strip with further losses as the war continues. He is known for his fluent Arabic and for wearing a mask that covers most of his face.
Netanyahu's comments about targeting Abu Obeida came after the Qassam Brigades released, late Saturday evening, photos and video clips for the first time of its leaders assassinated by Israel since the beginning of the war. Among the published photos were photos of former Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, who was elected as his successor, and the Chief of Staff of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, and his deputy, Marwan Issa.
In a related context, the Israeli Prime Minister said at the start of today's cabinet meeting that "the decision to occupy Gaza City has been made, and the army is implementing it."
Regarding Yemen, Netanyahu said, "We have dealt the Houthis a severe blow, and this is just the beginning," following the killing of several ministers in the internationally unrecognized Houthi government in Israeli airstrikes on Sana'a last week.
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