The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, has officially confirmed the death of its prominent spokesperson Abu Obeida during Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza. The announcement came through a newly appointed representative who has assumed the same nom de guerre, delivering the news during a televised address on Monday.
The successor, appearing in the distinctive uniform associated with the role, revealed that Abu Obeida—born Hudhaifa Samir Al-Kahlout and also known as Abu Ibrahim—perished alongside several other senior Hamas leaders. Among those confirmed dead was former military commander Mohammed Sinwar, marking significant losses within the organization’s leadership structure.
Abu Obeida rose to prominence in 2006 when he announced the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, subsequently becoming the recognizable voice of Hamas’s military operations during subsequent conflicts with Israel. His final recorded statement was delivered on July 18, with Hamas sources indicating he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on August 30. This timeline was corroborated by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who acknowledged the spokesperson’s elimination in a Gaza Strip operation on August 31.
The spokesperson’s legacy includes maintaining communication with Palestinian supporters throughout what he described as ‘the darkest circumstances,’ establishing him as a symbolic figure within the movement since his appointment to the role in 2005.