Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida killed in Gaza: Israel

Israel said on Saturday its forces killed Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, in an air strike on Gaza City, though the Palestinian group has not confirmed his death.

Defence Minister Israel Katz praised the military and the Shin Bet security agency for what he described in a post on X as a "flawless execution."

Hamas earlier accused Israel of targeting a residential building in Gaza City's al-Rimal neighbourhood, saying dozens of civilians were killed and wounded. Local journalists reported at least seven people dead and 20 injured, including children, says the BBC.

The strike is part of intensified Israeli bombardments on Gaza City ahead of a planned ground offensive.

Katz warned on Sunday that many more of Obeida's "criminal partners" would be targeted with "the intensification of the campaign in Gaza" - a reference to a recently approved Israeli plan to seize control of Gaza City.

Separately, the IDF and Shin Bet offered more details about Saturday's strikes that targeted the Hamas spokesman.

They said in a joint statement that the operation had been "made possible due to prior intelligence gathered by [Shin Bet] and the IDF's Intelligence Directorate" that had identified his hiding place.

Obeida was among the few remaining senior members of Hamas's military wing from before its deadly 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel.

Five missiles struck the second and third floor of the six-storey apartment in the al-Rimal neighbourhood building simultaneously from two different directions.

The flat that was targeted had been used as a dentist's surgery. Witnesses reported seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars flying in the air after the strikes, with large sums stolen by locals but later recovered by Hamas, says the BBC.

The joint statement said Obeida "served as the public face of the Hamas terrorist organization" and "disseminated Hamas' propaganda".

Over the past few years, Obeida - believed to be about 40 years old - delivered a number of long diatribes against Israel on behalf of Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.

Always masked in a Palestinian scarf, he became an idol to Hamas supporters throughout the Middle East.

In what may have been his final speech on Friday, Obeida said the fate of remaining Israeli hostages would be the same as that of Hamas fighters, warning Israel against its planned invasion of Gaza City.

Mohammed Emad, who runs a barbershop just 100m (328ft) from the hit building in al-Rimal, told the BBC that "the blasts were terrifying - I couldn't move for more than an hour".

He added: "I can't believe I'm still alive. I saw injured children with blood covering their faces, and people were running in every direction as if the world had ended."

Footage verified by the BBC of the aftermath of the strikes shows terrified residents fleeing into the streets.

Blood can be seen flowing from a body covered by fabric, while an injured child is carried away by a man, says the BBC.

The IDF said that prior to the attack "many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision weapons, aerial observations, and additional intelligence information".

BBC News has been unable to independently verify the claims of either the IDF or Hamas.

In early August, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to seize control of Gaza City in a fresh offensive, with the stated aim of bringing the 22-month-long war to an end.

The UN has repeatedly warned that a complete military takeover would risk "catastrophic consequences" for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The UK's ambassador to Israel has said it would be "a huge mistake".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to defeat Hamas and defied international criticism of his plans to expand the war.

Israel's military operation in Gaza began in response to the Hamas-led 7 October attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Since then, more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

While the operation to capture Gaza City has yet to begin in earnest, Israeli attacks on the city - where nearly a million people live - have been ongoing, says the BBC.

One local resident told the BBC that the same apartment building struck on Saturday had already been hit in an earlier Israeli air raid months ago.

The Israeli military has said it plans to evacuate Gaza City's entire population and move it to shelters in the south before troops move in. Most of Gaza's population has already been displaced many times during the conflict.

More than 90% of the city's homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed, and the healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed.