Hamas reveals Abu Ubaida's true identity, announces appointment of new spokesman

Gaza: Hamas has confirmed that Abu Ubaida, the long-time spokesperson of its armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was martyred during the Gaza war, releasing his photograph and revealing his true identity.

In May, the Israeli military claimed it had killed Sinwar, the younger brother of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Three months later, it also announced that Abu Ubaida had been killed.

In a video statement released on Monday, the al-Qassam Brigades confirmed the death of its veteran spokesperson and announced the appointment of a new masked spokesman.

During the statement, the new spokesperson revealed Abu Ubaida’s real identity for the first time, saying his name was Hudhayfah Samir Abdullah al-Kahlout.

“We announce with pride the martyrdom of the great leader … Abu Ubaida,” he said. “We have inherited his title.”

Abu Ubaida was a key Hamas voice in Gaza, regularly issuing statements on battlefield developments, ceasefire violations, and Israeli captive-for-Palestinian prisoner exchanges earlier this year during a short-lived ceasefire, which Israel later unilaterally ended, according to an Al Jazeera report.

His final statement was issued in early September, as Israel began the initial stages of a renewed military assault on Gaza City, declaring the area a combat zone while destroying hundreds of residential buildings and forcing mass displacement of Palestinians.

The al-Qassam Brigades also confirmed the deaths of several other senior commanders, including Mohammed Shabanah, head of the Rafah Brigade, along with Hakam al-Issa and Raed Saad.

They are among a growing list of Hamas figures confirmed killed by Israel over the past two years, including top political leader Yahya Sinwar; military commander Mohammed Deif, one of the founders of the al-Qassam Brigades in the 1990s; and political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran’s capital, Tehran.