The IDF and Shin Bet on Sunday evening confirmed the elimination of Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida in an IDF strike last week.

“Hudayfa al-Kahlout, ‘Abu Obeida,’ was one of the last senior figures in Hamas’s military wing from before October 7,” the joint statement said. “Over the past decade, he oversaw Hamas propaganda, oversaw the spokesperson units at the brigade and battalion levels, coordinated between the political propaganda bodies and the military wing, and served as the senior figure in shaping propaganda policy.”

“The Hamas propaganda wing under Kahlout’s command was responsible for disseminating the atrocities of the October 7 massacre by distributing footage recorded by Hamas terrorists. He was also responsible for disseminating incitement videos in the Arab world and among the Palestinian public, encouraging similar acts of terror.”

“During the war, he and his team were behind the release of psychological terror videos featuring abducted civilians and soldiers held in Gaza.”

Yediot Achranot military commentator Yossi Yehoshua told Kol Chai Radio on Sunday evening that he believes that Abu Obeida’s elimination “is the most significant after [Hamas leader Mohammed] Deif and Sinwar.”

According to Yehoshua, Abu Obeida played a part in instigating left-wing protests in Israel.

“He would watch the news broadcasts and knew how to play on Israeli emotions. If he managed to release a video of a hostage and bring tens of thousands to the Hostages Square and put pressure on Israel, then it’s worth several times more.”

Yehoshua noted that Abu Obeida was also “responsible for the starvation campaign.”

Tzvi Yechezkeli, the prominent Arab affairs commentator for I24NEWS, also believes that Abu Obeida’s elimination is a major blow for Hamas.

“Residents of Gaza and Arabs who watched Al Jazeera saw Abu Obeida as the face of the war and of the October 7 massacre,” he said. “He spoke to the population and to the Arab world. They admired him and even dressed up like him.”

“They also saw him as someone with ‘seven lives,’ because there were multiple reports that he had been killed, only for him to reappear. And even after the IDF exposed his face during the war, it didn’t matter—he continued to gain popularity.”

“His elimination is significant in terms of the psychological and narrative front, and that’s very important, because after all the campaigns about civilians and journalists (claims that Israel killed journalists at Nasser Hospital), this is a success in an arena where we usually don’t succeed, and we need to leverage it.”

“What do I mean? Don’t be surprised if, in a few weeks, you see another ‘Abu Obeida’ with a red or black keffiyeh, carried along by this persona’s success. Hamas won’t neglect this arena, but they took a hit. This shows that even symbolic and moral figures have an impact.”

“Think about it—Gazans now have no one to speak to them, no one to guide them or lift their spirits. Abu Obeida would appear daily on the screens near Shifa, and people would applaud him.”

“Now, there’s no one to raise their morale, especially now, as evacuations continue from northern Gaza, with the IDF’s military operation looming in the background. This shows that Israel is on the ground, intelligence is accessible, and hostages and bodies can be recovered. Israel was able to strike Abu Obeida, raise its own morale, and deliver a moral blow to Hamas. If Israel continues, this could even mark a turning point.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)