The Media Line: Hamas Confirms Death of Military Spokesman 4 Months After Israel Announces Assassination  

Hamas Confirms Death of Military Spokesman 4 Months After Israel Announces Assassination  

By The Media Line  

Hamas on Monday publicly confirmed that Abu Obaida, the masked spokesman of its armed wing, is dead, acknowledging months after Israel announced his killing that one of the group’s most prominent wartime figures was eliminated in an Israeli air strike.  

The Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades disclosed the death in a video posted to its Telegram channel, hailing Abu Obaida as a fallen commander and longtime public face of the organization. “We pause in reverence before… the masked man loved by millions… the great martyred commander and spokesperson of the Qassam Brigades, Abu Obaida,” the group said.  

Israel had stated on August 30 that Abu Obaida was killed in a strike in Gaza, part of a broader campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas’s leadership following the group’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war.   

Abu Obaida, whose real name was Hudhayfa Samir Al-Kahlout, was born on February 11, 1985, and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. He joined Hamas at a young age and later became a member of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, eventually emerging as its sole official spokesman.  

Throughout the war, he became one of Hamas’s most recognizable figures, with his appearances closely followed by Gazans, regional audiences, and international media. His video statements, delivered in military uniform with his face concealed by a red keffiyeh, were often used to announce war developments or address prisoner-exchange matters.  

Hamas officials have described Abu Obaida as embodying what they call “resistance,” citing his confrontational rhetoric and repeated threats against Israel. His visibility also made him a frequent target of Israeli assassination attempts over the years.  

“For many years, only a very small circle of Hamas officials knew his true identity,” a Hamas official told AFP.  

In the same Telegram video announcing his death, a masked speaker dressed in Abu Obaida’s distinctive style said he would issue future statements under the same name, signaling an effort to maintain continuity in the group’s public messaging.