Qassam Brigades confirms its spokesman Abu Obeida martyred in Israeli strike

The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, has confirmed that its longtime spokesman, Abu Obeida, was assassinated in an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip.

The new spokesman of the elite force made the announcement in a prerecorded speech that was aired on Monday evening, without providing any information about where and when the assassination had taken place.

The spokesperson revealed that his predecessor’s real name was Huthaifa Samir al-Kahlout. “We announce with pride the martyrdom of the great leader … Abu Obeida,” he said. “We have inherited his title.”

During the genocidal war in Gaza and before his death, Abu Obeida was a key voice for Palestinians in Gaza, regularly issuing statements and providing updates about battlefield developments and Israeli atrocities.

It was the first time Hamas officially confirmed al-Kahlout's real identity, after he had served as the spokesman of its military wing for nearly two decades without ever revealing his face.

The Israeli military announced on August 31 that Abu Obeida had been killed in an airstrike on Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip the previous day.

The new spokesman, whose identity remains unknown and who will also be referred to as Abu Obeida, paid tribute to fallen members and commanders of the Palestinian resistance group.

Among other high-profile figures he confirmed killed were Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in Gaza; Muhammad Shabana, the former commander of the Rafah Brigade in the al-Qassam Brigades, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Anas; and Hakem al-Issa, the former chief of staff of the “combat and administrative support division” in the Qassam Brigades.

He praised the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Flood, launched by Gaza-based resistance factions on October 7, 2023, as a powerful response to Israel’s longtime oppression, siege, and aggression against the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian people.

He emphasized that resistance fighters would continue to follow the path of resistance despite Israeli assassinations, insisting that such killings would never undermine the willpower or organizational structure of the Qassam Brigades.

Abu Obeida said that resistance fighters remain committed to the Gaza ceasefire agreement despite Israel’s ongoing attacks and violations.

Rejecting calls for Hamas to disarm, he said, “Our people defend themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation remains.”

“We will not surrender, even if we have to fight with our fingernails,” he asserted. 

Abu Obeida further called on Palestine supporters worldwide to continue with their rallies and activism as long as Israel persists in its acts of aggression against the Palestinians.

He urged Muslims to stand up against their number-one enemy, Israel, which he said adds a capital in West Asia to its list of targets to realize the so-called Greater Israel scheme.

He stressed that justice will be meted out against those who collaborated and colluded with the occupying Israeli regime.

Abu Obeida described the people of Gaza as “a symbol of resilience and steadfastness,” stating that resistance fighters will remain committed to them and make noble sacrifices.

The new spokesman finally expressed appreciation for “solidarity with the Palestinian nation,” extending gratitude to Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, as well as pro-Palestine activists in Jordan and elsewhere in the world.

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