Overview
- Hamas’s al‑Qassam Brigades released a video confirming the death of its longtime masked spokesman Abu Obeida, identifying him for the first time as Hudhayfa Samir al‑Kahlout.
- The group also acknowledged the deaths of senior commanders Mohammed Sinwar, Mohammed Shabanah, Hakam al‑Issi and Raed Saad in Israeli operations earlier in 2025.
- A new masked spokesman said he will assume the Abu Obeida nom de guerre, signaling continuity in the group’s messaging apparatus.
- Hamas published updated photographs of several slain leaders, including an unmasked image of Abu Obeida, marking a notable shift in its secrecy practices.
- The confirmations followed Israeli assertions that Sinwar was killed in May and Abu Obeida on August 30, and they came as U.S. diplomacy presses a fragile ceasefire and as Hamas reiterated it will not disarm.