Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Tuesday evening that the IDF and Shin Bet eliminated the commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, Nael Abu Obeid, in an airstrike in southern Gaza. In a joint statement, the two leaders said: 'No terrorist is immune, and Hamas will not be in Gaza,' praising the security forces for the operation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Tuesday evening that the IDF and Shin Bet eliminated Na'el Abu Ubeid, the commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, in a precision airstrike in southern Gaza. "No terrorist is immune, and Hamas will not be in Gaza," the two said in a joint statement, commending the security forces for the operation.
The confirmation builds on earlier reports Tuesday evening. At 22:49 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Netanyahu and Katz announced the strike. Shortly thereafter, at 23:41 Jerusalem, the IDF and Shin Bet detailed that Abu Ubeid, who also served as head of Hamas's operations array, was responsible for directing terror attacks against Israeli forces and civilians and working to rebuild the brigade's capabilities. He was appointed after his predecessor Muhammad Shabana was eliminated.
The elimination is the latest in a series of senior Hamas commander strikes this week. On Tuesday morning, the IDF confirmed the elimination of the Jabaliya battalion commander, Ahmad Batsh, in an overnight strike. Earlier this week, the internal security commander for the central camps, Wael Ladawi, was killed. The loss of the Rafah Brigade commander severely degrades Hamas's organized command structure in the southern Gaza Strip, a key objective in the ongoing campaign.
The security forces stated they remain deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and continue to operate against immediate threats.
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