Hamas Official Abu Obeida Perishes in Airstrike, Israel Announces Responsibility
In the ongoing turmoil of the Middle East, recent developments in Yemen and Gaza have raised concerns globally.
The latest chapter in this long-running saga sees a series of raids by the Houthi rebels against the UN and other international organisations working in rebel-held areas in Yemen. This crackdown has intensified, following the death of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Al Rahwi, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in Sanaa.
Israel has confirmed the elimination of Al Rahwi, whose death marks the killing of the most senior Houthi official in the Israeli-US campaign against the Iranian-backed rebels. The Israeli army also confirmed the elimination of Abu Obeida, who led Hamas's military wing propaganda apparatus and psychological terror operations.
Hamas has confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, its presumed leader in Gaza, more than three months after Israel said it had killed him. Sinwar reportedly led the Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades' military council after the death of commander Mohammed Deif.
These developments come as the war in Gaza has plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis and left much of it in ruins. The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 63,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials.
The UN has expressed deep concern over these escalations. UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has stressed that these attacks must stop immediately. He is particularly alarmed by reports of civilian deaths and injuries resulting from the Israeli strikes, as well as the reported killing and wounding of several senior Houthi officials and political interlocutors.
In a related incident, the Houthi rebels raided offices of the UN food and children's agencies in Yemen's capital, detaining at least one UN employee. The UN suspended its operations in the Houthi stronghold of Saada in northern Yemen after the rebels detained eight UN staffers in January.
Israel has carried out a series of assassinations targeting senior leaders and commanders of Hamas and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. The war in Gaza began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
In response to the death of Abu Obeida, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed hope that he had been killed, but did not confirm his death. The Israeli military has not commented on the recent raids in Yemen.
These developments underscore the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflicts in Yemen and Gaza, and for the protection of civilians and international personnel working in these troubled regions.
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