In a significant admission on Monday, December 29, 2025, Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, officially confirmed the deaths of two of its most high-profile figures: long-time military spokesperson Abu Obeida and Gaza military chief Mohammed Sinwar.
For the first time in over two decades, Hamas revealed the true identity of its iconic masked spokesperson. In a pre-recorded video, a new spokesperson—who has also adopted the nom de guerre "Abu Obeida"—identified his predecessor as Huthaifa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout.
Kahlout, whose face remained hidden behind a red keffiyeh since 2004, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in August 2025 in Gaza City. Known as the "voice of the resistance," his death marks the end of an era for Hamas’s psychological warfare and media operations.
The group also confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of the late Yahya Sinwar. Mohammed had reportedly taken over as the de facto leader of the Qassam Brigades following the assassination of Mohammed Deif in July 2024.
According to the statement, Mohammed Sinwar was killed in May 2025 during an Israeli operation in Khan Younis. The Israeli military had previously claimed his elimination in a bunker located beneath the European Hospital. His death followed that of his brother, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in October 2024.
The announcement served as a "mass eulogy" for several other top-tier commanders, confirming a significant degradation of Hamas’s military hierarchy, Muhammad Shabana: Commander of the Rafah Brigade (killed May 2025). Raed Saad: Head of Hamas’s manufacturing division and former chief of operations (killed December 2025). Hakam al-Issa: A founding member and head of combat support (killed June 2025).
While the new spokesperson vowed that Hamas would continue to "defend its land" and refused to disarm, the official confirmation of these high-level losses underscores the intense impact of the prolonged Israeli military campaign on the group’s core leadership.
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