Hamas confirms death of armed wing spokesman Abu Obeida in Israeli strike in August

Hamas on Monday publicly confirmed that its longtime armed wing spokesman, Hudhayfa Samir Abdullah al‑Kahlout , widely known as Abu Obeida , was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza this August. This is the first official acknowledgment by the group of the death of one of its most recognizable figures. The announcement came in a video released on the group’s Telegram channel by a newly appointed spokesman who adopted Abu Obeida’s nom de guerre and reiterated Hamas’ refusal to disarm. Israel had said on August 31 that its forces killed Abu Obeida, who had been the public voice of Hamas’s Izz al‑Din al‑Qassam Brigades since 2007, frequently appearing masked to deliver battlefield updates and threats toward Israel. His death had not been formally acknowledged by Hamas until now.

The confirmation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in Florida to push momentum for the U.S.‑brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which has shown signs of strain ahead of a complicated second phase of the truce. In the same statement, Hamas acknowledged the deaths of several other senior commanders killed by Israeli strikes this year, underscoring one of the deadliest campaigns against the group’s leadership since the start of the Gaza war.

Senior Hamas leaders confirmed killed by Israeli forces in 2025 include Abu Obeida, spokesman of the Izz al‑Din al‑Qassam Brigades , killed in Gaza City in late August; Mohammed Sinwar , head of Hamas’s armed wing and brother of former leader Yahya Sinwar , killed in a targeted Israeli operation in May; Raed Saad , a senior commander involved in planning operations, killed in a missile strike in December; Mohammed Shabana , commander of the Rafah Brigade, killed alongside Sinwar in May; and Hakam al‑Issa , a senior Qassam Brigades member killed in Israeli operations. These confirmed deaths come amid continued tension and periodic clashes despite the ceasefire. Hamas’s new spokesman stressed that the group will not lay down arms as long as it views Israel’s presence as an occupation, rejecting calls for disarmament under the truce terms.

The Israel‑Hamas war erupted after a Hamas‑led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people , mostly civilians and resulted in the abduction of roughly 250 hostages . A ceasefire was struck on October 10, but violence and targeted operations have continued. Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 414 people have been killed and over 1,100 wounded in the enclave since the truce, with the overall Palestinian toll from the conflict at least 71,266. The ministry’s figures do not distinguish between militants and civilians but are widely considered generally reliable by international observers.

This is the first time Hamas has formally confirmed al‑Kahlout’s death and publicly listed several other senior commanders killed by Israel this year. Earlier reporting on leadership losses, including Sinwar, Shabana, Raed Saad, and Hakam al‑Issa—fills gaps not detailed in the initial announcement, highlighting how Israel’s targeted strikes have reshaped the group’s leadership during the ongoing war.