Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday morning referred to the attempted assassination of Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida at the weekly cabinet meeting, which was held in a secret location.
“The IDF attacked the evil spokesman Abu Obeida,” Netanyahu said. “We are waiting for the results. I notice that Hamas’s announcement is a bit delayed; apparently there’s no one to speak for it.”
A Palestinian source confirmed to Al Arabiya on Sunday morning that Abu Obeida was killed in the strike. According to the report, Abu Obeida’s family and Hamas officials confirmed his death. There has been no official confirmation from the terror group, which sometimes waits months before confirming the deaths of senior figures.
New details about the targeted strike were revealed on Sunday.
A Palestinian source told Sky News Arabia that Abu Obeida and his family had rented the apartment targeted in the strike only a few days ago. According to the same source, Abu Obeida’s wife and children were at home at the time of the attack. He noted that “large amounts of banknotes were scattered during the bombing.”
IAF fighter jets fired a precision missile at the second and third floors of the building. The operation was overseen by the Shin Bet’s special operations command center in central Israel.
The Palestinian source further told Sky News Arabia that after the attack, Hamas men closed off the area around the attacked house and prevented civilians from approaching to retrieve the bodies.
Abu Obeida, whose real name is Hudayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, has served as the spokesman for the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, since at least 2007.
A red keffiyeh has concealed his face at all public appearances, and over the years, he has become one of the organization’s symbols.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
