IDF Confirms Elimination Of Hamas Spokesman Abu Obeida In Gaza Strike

Israel announced Sunday that Hudayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Hamas terror group, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City the previous day.

Initially, the IDF and Shin Bet reported only that a senior Hamas figure had been struck, but within hours reports identified the target as Abu Obeida. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confirmed the news during Sunday’s weekly cabinet session.

At first, officials expressed uncertainty over the outcome, though unnamed security sources voiced hope the target had been eliminated. That uncertainty ended when Defense Minister Yisrael Katz declared the mission a success.

On X, Katz wrote that the veteran spokesman “was sent to meet all the eliminated members of the axis of evil from Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen at the bottom of hell.” He added, “Soon, as the campaign over Gaza intensifies, he will meet many more of his partners in crime there — Hamas murderers and rapists.”

Following Katz’s comments, the IDF officially confirmed Abu Obeida’s death, describing him as “the face of the terrorist organization.” The military said the operation was directed from the Shin Bet’s operations center alongside the Southern Command, relying on intelligence from both Shin Bet and Military Intelligence that identified his location.

According to the IDF, for the past ten years Abu Obeida oversaw Hamas’s propaganda operations, coordinating between political media organs and the group’s armed factions, while setting the movement’s overall messaging strategy.

The military noted that Hamas’s propaganda arm “was responsible for distributing the atrocities of the October 7 massacre using footage captured by Hamas terrorists.” It further stated that his unit circulated hostage videos and incitement across the Arab world to encourage additional terror attacks.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the elimination of Abu Obeida was part of “a series of significant IDF strikes in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and other areas.” At a briefing in the Northern Command, Zamir stressed, “This is not the end.” He vowed that the IDF would reach Hamas leaders who remain abroad, while maintaining “initiative and operational superiority across all arenas and at all times.”

Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting that the spokesman’s fate was not yet verified. “The Shin Bet and the IDF struck the Hamas spokesman, the spokesman of the murderous evil organization, Abu Obeida,” he said. “We still don’t know the final outcome — I hope he is no longer with us — but I notice there’s no one to speak about this from Hamas’s side. So, the coming hours and days will tell.”

Abu Obeida, who always appeared masked, had served as Hamas’s spokesman since 2004. He became widely known in 2006 when he announced the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Since then, he has been central to the group’s propaganda campaigns and psychological warfare. His final statement, released Friday, warned that Israel’s expected offensive into Gaza City would put hostages there at “the same risks” as Hamas fighters.

Because of Abu Obeida’s elimination, along with the strike last week that killed Houthi prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi in Yemen, the Israeli cabinet held Sunday’s meeting in a secure alternate site over concerns about possible retaliation.

At the meeting, Netanyahu said the IDF had already begun carrying out the cabinet’s decision “to defeat Hamas and bring back all of our hostages.” He tied this to the broader campaign for Gaza City.

Addressing the Yemen strike, Netanyahu noted that Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi repeatedly threatens Israel’s destruction, a slogan that appears on the Houthis’ flag. “That promise will not be fulfilled,” Netanyahu declared. “But our promise — to strike the terror regime with increased force — is being fulfilled. And how is it being fulfilled. In a deadly blow, the IDF eliminated most of the Houthi government and additional military officials.”

He pledged that Israel would continue to target senior Houthi leadership: “This is only the beginning of the campaign targeting senior officials in Sana’a. We will reach all of them.”