Gaza Genocide29 December, 20252 min read
Al-Qassam Declares Muhammad Sinwar and Spokesman Abu Ubaydah Martyred
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Al‑Qassam confirmed deaths of spokesman Hudhayfa Samir al‑Kahlout and leader Mohammad Sinwar Israeli genocide killed Abu Ubaida in August and reportedly Mohammad Sinwar in May
6 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Thousands March in London Calling for Britain to Stop Arming Israel and Impose Sanctions →
Leadership deaths confirmed
Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, publicly confirmed on Monday that longtime masked spokesman 'Abu Obeida' and former Gaza commander Mohammed (Muhammad) Sinwar were killed and said several other senior commanders had been 'martyred'. Multiple outlets reported that the brigades announced the deaths and introduced a new masked spokesperson who adopts the same nom de guerre, offering religious eulogies for the dead and naming other commanders lost in recent Israeli strikes. The confirmations follow earlier Israeli statements that it had killed both Sinwar and the masked spokesman months earlier.
“Hamas’s military wing, the al‑Qassam Brigades, has officially confirmed the deaths of longtime spokesman Abu Obeida and former Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar, and announced a new masked spokesperson.”
Spokesman identity and history
The brigades disclosed the original masked spokesman’s identity, with Al Jazeera and other reports saying the group revealed Abu Obeida’s real name as Hudhayfah (Huthaifa/Huthaifa) Samir al‑Kahlout, noting transliteration variants across outlets. The group said a new unnamed spokesman has taken the same alias.
Profiles in Middle East Eye and Muslim News Nigeria trace the Abu Obeida alias back to the Second Intifada and document how the nom de guerre was kept secret and reused. ABC notes the brigades’ Telegram tribute gave a birth year and refugee‑camp background for the man the group now confirms as its longtime voice.
Israel strikes and Hamas losses
Multiple sources report that Israel had previously claimed responsibility for strikes it said killed senior Hamas figures.
“Israel had earlier claimed to have killed Sinwar in May and Abu Obeida three months later.”
Israel announced Sinwar’s death in May and said it had killed the masked Brigades spokesman in August, claims now echoed by Arab and Western outlets after Hamas’s confirmation.
Reporting also notes repeated Israeli attempts on Abu Obeida over two decades and describes Israel’s ongoing campaign to dismantle Hamas leadership following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
Al Jazeera additionally cites Gaza health ministry casualty figures alongside the leadership losses.
Media reactions to Gaza
Al-Jazeera Net relays a Qassam address praising Rafah’s fighters for choosing 'martyrdom over surrender'. The address also condemns what it calls escalating Israeli aggression across Al-Aqsa and the West Bank, and calls for intensified resistance and international solidarity.
Arab News PK foregrounds regional diplomacy, reporting Jordanian and Moroccan foreign ministers urging full implementation of a Gaza ceasefire and a second phase focused on aid and a political horizon. Western outlets focus more narrowly on personnel confirmations and basic biographical details.
