An Israeli air strike has killed Nael Abu Obeid, the commander of the Rafah Brigade within the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. The death of the senior military figure was confirmed by both Palestinian sources and Israeli officials.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the military operation. They noted that the strike on the Rafah Brigade chief follows the assassination of Khan Younis Brigade commander Muhammad Abd al-Salam al-Yazouri alongside other senior officials earlier this week. Netanyahu and Katz declared that Israel's message is that Hamas "will not remain in the Gaza Strip." In a separate statement, Katz praised the "success of the operation," emphasizing that his and Netanyahu's policy remains uncompromising.
According to Palestinian sources, Abu Obeid took over command of the Rafah Brigade during the ongoing war. He succeeded the previous commander, Muhammad Shabana, who was killed in an Israeli strike in May 2025.
The attack marks the fourth targeted assassination carried out by the Israeli military over the past week against senior Palestinian leaders. This series of operations includes the killing of Khan Younis commander al-Yazouri on Friday, the death of the Jabalia battalion commander in northern Gaza several days prior, and the assassination of an Islamic Jihad commander.
The escalation in targeted strikes comes alongside reports of rising Palestinian civilian casualties resulting from ceasefire violations. Palestinian sources stated that Israeli breaches of the truce agreement have killed 1,372 Palestinians and wounded 4,659 others. Since October 8, 2023, the war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 73,000 Palestinians, left over 174,000 injured, and destroyed approximately 90 percent of the enclave's infrastructure.
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.