The confirmation came in a Telegram video paying tribute to a “masked man loved by millions”
Abu Ubaida, the spokesman of the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, gestures as he speaks during an anti-Israel military show in the southern Gaza Strip November 11, 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS
Hamas has confirmed that its armed wing spokesman, known as Abu Ubaida, was killed in Gaza months after Israel said he had died in an air strike.
In a statement released on Monday, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said Abu Ubaida had been killed during the war with Israel, describing him as a “commander and spokesman” whose identity had remained concealed throughout his public appearances.
Israel had announced in August that Abu Ubaida was killed in an air strike on Gaza on 30 August, but Hamas had not previously acknowledged his death.
The confirmation came in a video message posted on the group’s Telegram channel, in which the Qassam Brigades paid tribute to what it called a “masked man loved by millions”.
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Separately, Hamas also confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, its senior leader in Gaza and the younger brother of former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar. The Israeli military said in May that Mohammed Sinwar had been killed during fighting in the enclave.
Israel has said it has targeted senior Hamas figures throughout the conflict, while Hamas has often delayed or avoided confirming the deaths of its leaders.
In August, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Abu Ubaida had been targeted in a joint operation carried out by the military and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service in Gaza.
