Hamas announced the death of Nail Abu Obeid, known as “Abu Atiya,” commander of the al-Qassam Brigades’ Rafah Brigade, in a strike carried out by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening. Israel had confirmed targeting him and said he also served as head of the operations system in the movement’s military wing.
Netanyahu and Katz confirm targeting Rafah Brigade commander
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the army targeted Abu Obeid after the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade and several other Hamas leaders were killed earlier in the week. They added: “Our message is clear: No militant is immune, and Hamas will not remain in Gaza.” The Israeli army and Shin Bet said Abu Obeid took command of the Rafah Brigade after the previous commander, Mohammed Shabana, was killed in May 2025.
The Israeli army had announced earlier on Tuesday that it carried out other strikes in the Gaza Strip, saying one of them killed the commander of Hamas’s Jabalia Battalion. A ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 with US support halted major combat operations in Gaza, but did not permanently end Israeli strikes or the war.
Israel and Hamas have traded accusations of violating the agreement and undermining implementation of the broader US plan to end the conflict, which includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip and Hamas giving up its weapons.
