Gaza's masked voice of resistance Abu Obeida may be dead, leaving a legacy greater than Hamas

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed on Sunday that Israel had assassinated Abu Obeida, the masked spokesman of Hamas's military wing of al-Qassam Brigades, in an airstrike on Gaza City.

Writing on X, Katz boasted that "Abu Obeida was eliminated and sent to the depths of hell," calling the operation a "qualitative achievement" carried out with Shin Bet.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a more cautious tone, saying that "the coming hours and days would reveal the truth," a rare sign of hesitation that suggested Israel itself was unsure if it had indeed killed the man who for two decades embodied its most wanted target in Gaza.

On Saturday, the Israeli army attacked a residential building near the Tailandy restaurant in al-Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City, killing at least eight Palestinians and wounding others, according to the civil defence in the territory.

The civil defence has not provided any details about the victims. However, eyewitnesses and relatives of Abu Obeida say that at least his wife and three of his children were among the victims, without mentioning his fate yet.

Despite the ambiguity, the announcement swept through Gaza like wildfire. In alleyways, displacement tents, and WhatsApp groups, people argued, grieved, and doubted.

For many, the news carried a deeper weight: Abu Obeida was more than a military spokesman for Hamas.

Over long years, he had become a national symbol whose red-and-white keffiyeh, hidden face, and sharp words resonated beyond Hamas and across Palestinian identity.

From Jabalia to an icon

According to local sources in Gaza City, Abu Obeida, whose name was Huzaifa Samir al-Kahlout, was born in 1985 in Jabalia refugee camp. He grew up in poverty under siege.

He completed his studies at the Islamic University of Gaza, earning a master's degree in the fundamentals of religion, before joining Hamas's military wing.

His pseudonym evoked the early Muslim commander Abu Obeida ibn al-Jarrah, but his imagery was more closely linked to Hamas's fighter Emad Aqel, assassinated by Israel in 1993, who was known as "the fighter with seven lives."

Abu Obeida first appeared publicly in 2002 in a documentary on tunnel fighters, his eloquence and defiant confidence leaving a mark.

By 2006, he was the official face of the Qassam Brigades, announcing the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in an operation Israel admitted was a strategic blow.

From then on, his voice became the soundtrack of every Gaza war.

Dressed in uniform, masked with his trademark keffiyeh, he issued threats and vows of revenge while bolstering Palestinian morale.

His words, measured and precise, often carried more weight than fiery political speeches. Israeli analysts called him a "psychological weapon," noting that his appearances alone could unsettle the Israeli public.

As Hamas's arsenal grew, from short-range rockets to long-range missiles and drones, Abu Obeida became its narrator.

Behind the scenes, Hamas sources said, he was part of decision-making circles alongside Mohammed Deif and Yahya Sinwar, shaping not only statements but the media strategy of the armed wing.

Grief, defiance, and doubt

Speaking to The New Arab, residents across Gaza described their shock and grief at the reports of Abu Obeida's killing, stressing that he had long transcended Hamas to embody the voice of Palestinian resistance itself.

"I am against Hamas since it controlled Gaza in 2007, but I used to respect the masked man, Abu Obeida, as he was our own real face that should remain in the face of the Israeli occupation," Abu Mohammed, a Palestinian man from Jabalia, told TNA.

"Abu Obeida was not the spokesperson of Hamas only, but he was our voice against the unjust world, including the Arab world," Abu Mohammed said.

"Even if Hamas made what I believe was the worst decision of its history by launching the October 7 attack, driven by political calculations known only to its leaders, Abu Obeida still represented us. He was like Handala, drawn by Naji al-Ali, always searching for homeland, dignity, and freedom," he added.

"Israel may kill him physically, but it will never kill him in meaning. Abu Obeida is no longer just a man; he is an idea deeply rooted in us. When he spoke, we felt he was speaking for all of Gaza," said Areej Ahmed, a Palestinian woman from al-Nuseirat refugee camp.

"I cannot forget his speeches to the Arab world and to Muslims, pleading with them to save Gaza from destruction, but no one came […] I cannot forget his last address, when he said that on the Day of Judgment, the entire world, including the Arabs, would stand as our adversaries before Allah. In his words, I felt he was bidding farewell, as if he knew his end was near," the 39-year-old mother of three told TNA.

Yet, she says, "What he believed, we also believe: that the world abandoned us to this massacre, left us to face extermination alone. We will never forgive, not only for his death, but for leaving us all to die without mercy, without compassion."

For Alaa Salama, a university student from Khan Younis, his speeches became ritual moments during every war.

"We waited for his words like people waited for an important broadcast. He gave us strength in the darkest nights. Even my friends who opposed Hamas politically considered him our spokesman. If he is truly gone, we lose a symbol that cannot be replaced," he told TNA.

"Whenever I heard him say the resistance was fine, I told my family and my friends not to be afraid. Without his voice, I don't know how to reassure them any more," he said.

"We cannot absolve Hamas of responsibility for this war. It made choices that brought catastrophe on us, just as Israel commits crimes against us. We are the ones under the rubble. But Abu Obeida was different; he was not a politician in an office, but a fighter who lived among his people. Like Handala, he became a symbol beyond politics," he added.

"Hamas behaves as if Abu Obeida belongs only to them. But he became larger than Hamas itself. Even those who criticise the movement saw him as part of the people's conscience. That is why his loss, if confirmed, is not just Hamas's loss; it is a loss for all of Palestine," he explained.

On social media, Palestinians shared his speeches with captions like "the living martyr" and "the voice of Palestine that never dies."

Others expressed scepticism, recalling how Israel had declared his death before, only for him to reappear.

"If they were truly sure, they would prove it. His return after such claims would humiliate them," Mohammed, a Palestinian young man from Deir al-Balah, who supports Hamas, remarked to TNA.

Regardless of whether he has been killed, Abu Obeida's image has already taken root. His masked face, clipped words, and defiance have become ingrained in the Palestinian collective memory.

For some in Gaza, his possible death elevates him to legend. For others, his symbolism already transcends his physical presence.