Hamas reveals new military spokesman after Abu Obaida's death Submitted by Mera Aladam on Mon, 12/29/2025 - 11:34 Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades confirms Abu Obaida died in Israeli strike on Gaza City in August Off Hamas's military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, announced a new spokesman on Monday and confirmed the death of Abu Obaida in an Israeli strike on Gaza City in August. In a prerecorded speech aired on Arab media, the new spokesman mourned Abu Obaida, describing him as a senior leader who headed the al-Qassam Brigades' media office. "Today, we mourn Abu Obaida, whose real name was the great leader Huthaifa Samir al-Kahlout, who passed away after two decades of frustrating the enemies." The new spokesperson also confirmed that Mohammed al-Sinwar, the former commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, was killed by Israeli forces in May. Other senior military leaders were also confirmed dead, including Raed Saad, who was killed earlier this month. Abu Obaida, a nom de guerre, served as the spokesman for Hamas’s military wing for nearly two decades. He was best known for his televised speeches, in which he provided battlefield updates, boasted about Hamas's military successes, and taunted Israel. Always appearing incognito with his face covered by a red keffiyeh, little was known about his personal life, earning him the title "the masked one" in the Arab world. One of Hamas's most prominent figures, he garnered widespread popularity and reverence across the Arab-speaking world, with his distinctive look often replicated in protests and his name immortalised in songs. His profile increased dramatically after the Hamas-led surprise attack on Israel in October 2023, and the subsequent Israeli war in the Gaza Strip. Little is known about the true identity of Abu Obaida. In a 2005 interview, he revealed that his family was forcibly displaced by Zionist militias during the 1948 Nakba and resettled in an unnamed village in the Gaza Strip. At the time of the interview he suggested he was in his early 20s, implying a birthdate in the mid-1980s. Sources within Hamas said only a few people knew his real identity prior to his death. "Abu Obaida" is a nom de guerre he adopted during the Second Intifada (2000-2005) when he first appeared publicly. The name probably references Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, a revered companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a legendary military commander. Abu Obaida's first public appearance as the spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades was in 2004. He held a press conference that October during an Israeli ground assault in northern Gaza. From then on, he became the group’s sole military spokesperson, delivering speeches and battlefield updates through Hamas’s official media platforms. His role was formalised within Hamas's media office in 2004. His first major appearance came in 2006 when he announced the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Who is Abu Obeida, Hamas's military spokesman? Read More » In 2014, he was also the first to announce the capture of another Israeli soldier, Shaul Aron, during the Israeli war on Gaza, revealing his identity card number in a recorded video. Occasionally, he has commented outside of wartime. In 2022, following the re-arrest of six Palestinian prisoners who had escaped from an Israeli jail, he vowed Hamas would secure their release in a future prisoner exchange. One of his most notable speeches was on 28 October 2024, when he criticised Arab leaders for failing to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza. "God forbid" Palestinians ask Arab rulers to intervene militarily in Gaza, he said, but their failure to even provide relief supplies shocked Hamas. The phrase "God forbid" later became a widely used slogan in the Arab-speaking world and on social media to express Arab leaders' unwillingness to act against Israeli attacks. Israel made several attempts to assassinate him over the past 20 years, including two since October 2023. In April 2024, the US sanctioned him as Hamas's “information warfare chief”, with the US treasury department accusing him of leading the "cyber influence department of al-Qassam Brigades". Israel's genocide in Gaza News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0