Na'el Abu Obeid, the commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, died in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza on Sept 15. The Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed the death the following day, identifying Abu Obeid as a member of the General Military Council and a leader of the Oct 7 operation. He also served as the head of the military wing's operations array and managed activities to advance attacks against Israeli civilians and troops.

The operation marks the fourth targeted assassination of a senior Palestinian figure by the Israeli military in one week, following strikes on the Khan Younis Brigade and Jabalia Battalion commanders. Gaza sources reported two dead and 14 wounded in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis during the strike. Hamas scheduled the funeral for Abu Obeid at the Nasser Hospital mosque on Sept 16.