Abu Obaida (Hamas)

Abu Obaida
أبو عبيدة
25th anniversary of Hamas celebrated in Gaza with Abu Obaida speaking, December 2012
Born
Huthayfa Samir al-Kahlout

(1985-02-11)February 11, 1985
Gaza, Palestine
DiedAugust 30, 2025(2025-08-30) (aged 40)
NationalityPalestinian
OrganizationAl-Qassam Brigades

Abu Obaida (Arabic: أبو عبيدة) also spelled as Abu Obayda, Abu Ubayda and Abu Ubaydah, was a Palestinian militant and spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, from 2007 until his death in 2025. He was described as "the central figure of al-Qassam's media campaign."[1]

He was nicknamed Abu Ubaidah after the companion of Mohammad who conquered Jerusalem, Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, who lived during the reign of Caliph Umar.[2]

Identity

Abu Obaida appeared for the first time as official spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades in 2004 but he gained spotlight when he announced the capture of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by the Al-Qassam Brigades in 2006.[3] He was previously seen on screen as a field official between 2002-2004,[4] but his identity remains unknown and his face does not appear in the media as he covers his face with a Keffiyeh for security purpose.[5] Palestinian reports indicate that his face is known only to a small number of people.[3] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reported multiple times that they have revealed Abu Obeida's identity but Hamas has denied the claims citing propaganda.[6][7]

References

  1. ↑ Agathocleous, Sophia; van Veen, Erwin (2024-10-17). "Hamas "From the Heart of Battle": Analyzing Abu Obaida's Discourse". The Cairo Review of Global Affairs. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  2. ↑ Al-Nazer, Ahmed (11 October 2023). "يخشاه ويصدقه الإسرائيليون.. من هو أبو عبيدة الناطق باسم كتائب القسام؟". Cairo 24 (in Arabic).
  3. 1 2 "Abu Ubaida...the voice of the Palestinian resistance in light of the conflict". TRT Arabic (in Arabic). 11 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Who is Abu Ubaida? Hamas' masked spokesperson resurfaces with chilling warning for Israel". WION. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Hamas denies that it has military positions in civilian areas in the besieged Gaza Strip". New Arab.
  6. ↑ "IDF: This is the true identity of Hamas terrorist Abu Obaida". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  7. ↑ "القسام: صورة أبو عبيدة المتداولة غير حقيقية". zamnpress.com. 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2023-11-19.


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