Deir al-Balah, Aug 31: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Sunday that Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, was killed in Gaza over the weekend.
Obeida had not made a statement since Friday, when Israel launched a new offensive in Gaza City. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously mentioned an attack on Obeida but was uncertain of his death.
Hamas has yet to comment on the Israeli claim. Obeida is the latest senior Hamas figure targeted in Israel’s ongoing efforts to dismantle the group following the October 7, 2023 attacks, in which Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepened. Since Saturday, at least 43 Palestinians have been killed, mostly in Gaza City.
Shifa Hospital reported receiving 29 bodies, including 10 people killed while seeking aid.
Eleven more fatalities were reported Sunday, with seven civilians reportedly shot while attempting to reach aid.
Witnesses say Israeli troops opened fire on civilians in the Netzarim Corridor, a military zone that bisects Gaza.
Desperate crowds trying to access humanitarian aid face deadly risks, with civilians either caught in crossfire or attacked near aid convoys and distribution sites.
Israel has intensified airstrikes around Gaza City and the Jabaliya refugee camp as it advances its offensive.
Its Arabic-language spokesperson urged civilians to flee south, though many remain trapped due to exhaustion, repeated displacement, or lack of safer alternatives.
The UN reports that over 65,000 Palestinians have fled their homes since August 1, and more than 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million people have been displaced at least once since the war began.
Conditions continue to deteriorate, with widespread hunger and mounting deaths from starvation.
The Gaza health ministry reported that seven more adults died from malnutrition-related causes in the last 24 hours, bringing the total adult death toll from starvation to 215 since late June.
Additionally, 124 children have died of similar causes since the war began.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 63,371 Palestinians have died during the war, roughly half of whom were women and children.
While Israel disputes these numbers, it has not released its own casualty figures. The UN and independent groups regard the ministry as a key source of information. (AP)
