Overview
- The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades posted a video confirming Abou Obeida died in Gaza, using the honorific “grand commandant martyr.”
- Israel had said on August 30 that an Israeli military strike in Gaza killed him, a claim Hamas did not validate at the time.
- A masked presenter in the new video said he will adopt the name Abou Obeida for future statements from the Brigades.
- The video also reported the deaths of four additional Hamas commanders in Israeli operations.
- Abou Obeida, identified as Houdhayfa Samir al-Kahlout, served as the Brigades’ spokesman since 2002 and became a central wartime voice for the group.