Israel attempted to target Hamas' Abu Obaida in Gaza building strike: Reports

CAIRO – 30 August 2025: A senior Israeli official was quoted by Israeli media as claiming that spokesman of Hamas' military wing Abu Obaida was the target of a Saturday airstrike on the densely populated Gaza City.

Meanwhile, Arabic news reports quoted Hamas' security apparatus as warning that rumors circulated by Israel regarding the alleged assassination of Abu Obaida are part of a "psychological war aimed at destabilizing the internal front."

They added that Israeli rumors about the assassination of resistance leaders are intended to provoke reactions, enabling intelligence gathering and later targeting.

Separately, Hamas condemned the airstrike on a building in the city’s Rimal neighborhood, saying in a Telegram post that dozens of civilians fell casualty, including fatalities and injured, as the strike targeted a populated building.

Hamas said the strike is an extension of Israeli targeting of innocent civilians to intimidate them and force them to evacuate the city.

“This heinous crime, along with the continuous bombing of residential neighborhoods, is part of the occupying forces' openly declared plans to target Gaza City with destruction and forcibly displace its residents,” Hamas said.

The movement added that such actions constitute “a full-fledged war crime that the occupying leaders openly carry out, all in full view and hearing of the world.”

The Israeli army has announced launching the “initial” stage of an operation to take over Gaza city, which, during the war, had been home to nearly half of the enclave’s 2.2 million residents.

The international community, including Arab, Muslim and western nations, have expressed objection to the operation, which comes despite a deepening humanitarian crisis that amounted to famine, as confirmed by a UN-backed group last week.

Israel has so far killed over 63,000 people in Gaza including thousands of aid seekers, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

More than 330 people, including 124 children, have also died of famine and acute malnutrition, according to the latest figures by the ministry.