Gaza-based sources confirmed Tuesday evening that Na'al Abu Ubaid, the commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, was eliminated by IDF forces. A senior Israeli security source stated that the elimination "appears to have succeeded," following official confirmation earlier from Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz.
Earlier this evening at 22:08 Jerusalem, the IDF and Shin Bet announced a strike on a senior Hamas operative in the southern Gaza Strip. Within minutes, Israeli media and security analysts identified the target as the commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade. The Southern Command fire center was praised for the precision of the operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed shortly afterward that the strike had targeted and eliminated the Rafah Brigade commander, identified as Nael Abu Ubaid (also known as Abu Atiya). Netanyahu and Katz stated that "no terrorist is immune, and Hamas will not be in Gaza." Sources in Gaza subsequently confirmed the death of Abu Ubaid, providing independent corroboration of the elimination.
The elimination follows the killing of the Khan Younis Brigade commander four days earlier, as The Zioneer reported at the time. The targeting of senior commanders continues a sustained campaign to dismantle Hamas's military leadership in Gaza. As The Zioneer has reported in recent weeks, the IDF has eliminated the Yibna Battalion commander in the Rafah Brigade, a Hamas platoon commander, and other senior operatives involved in the October 7 massacre and ongoing threats to Israeli forces.
Abu Ubaid commanded the Rafah Brigade, one of Hamas's key regional formations responsible for operations in southern Gaza. His elimination marks a significant degradation of the terror group's command-and-control capabilities in the area, where IDF forces have conducted focused operations.
The IDF has assessed the strike as successful, and both Israeli and Gaza-based sources confirm the outcome. Specific operational details—including the exact location, method, and whether additional operatives were killed—have not been disclosed.
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