Top News

Gaza, Dec 29 (IANS) Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Monday that its military spokesperson Abu Obeida had been killed during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The announcement was made by a newly-appointed spokesperson, who assumed the same nom de guerre, Abu Obeida, during a televised press conference.

The new spokesperson, wearing the uniform associated with the title, confirmed that Abu Obeida, whose real name was Hudhaifa Samir Al-Kahlout and also known as Abu Ibrahim, had died.

He said Abu Obeida "remained connected to his people during the darkest circumstances" and confirmed that several other senior leaders were also killed, including former Hamas military leader Mohammed Sinwar, Xinhua news agency reported.

In 2005, Abu Obeida was appointed the military group's official spokesperson.

He became widely known after announcing the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006 and later gained prominence during Israeli military offensives on Gaza, particularly in 2014.

Abu Obeida delivered his last recorded statement on July 18, and was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza on Aug. 30, according to sources within Hamas.

On August 31, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the spokesman of Hamas's armed wing, Abu Obeida, had been killed in a strike in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military received its first operational high-power laser air-defence system on Sunday, the Israeli Defence Ministry said, calling it a milestone in the country's multi-layered defence capabilities.

Dubbed Iron Beam and developed by the ministry's research directorate in collaboration with the Israeli arms firm Rafael, the system is designed to intercept short-range ballistic threats such as rockets, mortar shells, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The ministry said it will be integrated into the Israeli Air Force alongside existing systems, including the short-range Iron Dome, the David's Sling for medium- to long-range missiles, and Arrow systems for long-range ballistic missile interception.

Defence Minister Israel Katz described the handover as a turning point, saying the laser system had reached "operational maturity" after a series of successful trials. "This achievement changes the rules of the game and sends a clear message to all our enemies -- near and far alike: do not test us," Katz said in a statement.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)