Zaid Adham
Abu Ubayda, a disguised figure who, after 7 October, came to the fore with remarkable force, filling the headlines and subjugating the media space.
Hidden in appearance, he became a comfort word for the wounded hearts of the Ummah and a sharp arrowhead stuck into the hearts of her enemies. He appeared hidden, and it was by this that he revealed the truths hidden behind many open faces.
On October 2, 2004, at the «Al-Nur» mosque in the Jabaliya refugee camp, Abu Ubayda made his first address as the official representative of the «Izz al-Din al-Qassam» Brigades. He concluded it with a phrase that was destined to define both his message and his legacy:
«وَ ُِنَهُ لَجَهَاد ע نَصْر أَوِ اسْتلشْهَاد »
«Truly, this is jihad: either victory or martyrdom».
Each utterance of these words carried a special weight. They outlined a sacred path, the end of which allows only two outcomes, victory or martyrdom, and in both cases this is a triumph for the believer.
The Zionist regime has never been blind to the power contained in Abu Ubayda’s word. From the very beginning, its silencing became a priority in the system of security measures and military policy. Threats multiplied. Attempts were made to reveal his identity. Cyber attacks and continuous psychological warfare followed. All this revealed a simple truth: the enemy feared words more than weapons, words that inspire, shape consciousness, forge narratives and change the balance of confrontation.
Eventually, these relentless efforts reached the goal On August 30, 2025, Abu Ubayda was martyred in an airstrike on a building in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. However, the question was asked with renewed urgency: who was the man behind the mask, the voice that breathed hope into the hearts of Muslims and made the ranks of the Zionists and their allies tremble?
His name was Huzaifa Samir Abdullah al-Qahlut, known to the general public as Abu Ubayda, and also by his kuniya Abu Ibrahim. Especially after October 7, he became one of the most prominent media figures in Palestinian jihad.
He invariably appeared in military uniform, with a red keffiyeh thrown over his shoulders, hiding his face. He was born on February 11, 1985 in the Gaza Strip. His family came from the village of Ni’iliya, whose residents were expelled in the 1948 war and forced to seek shelter in Gaza, where they subsequently lived primarily in the Jabaliya camp and other areas of the sector.
Abu Ubayda formed with the first media initiatives of the «al-Qassam» Brigades and quickly became their defining voice. His official public role began with a press conference on October 2, 2004 at the «Al-Nur» mosque, at which the «Days of Wrath » operations were announced.
From that moment on, his responsibilities steadily expanded. He oversaw the media department, led psychological and cyber operations, issued official statements, and supervised the publication of operational video materials he also conveyed messages about prisoners and warnings of deterrence. Over the years, his calibrated speech, even tone and powerful voice have placed him at the center of the most fateful episodes of the Palestinian struggle.
It was he who announced Operation «Destruction of the illusion» and the capture of Gilad Shalit. He articulated tough positions during the West Bank annexation discussions and during the 2021 standoffs. His central role was most prominently revealed in the October 7, 2023 operation dubbed the «Al-Aqsa Flood, an event that changed the trajectory of the conflict.
One of the most obvious revelations of the emptiness of Western slogans was the sanctions imposed against Abu Ubayda by the United States and the European Union back in 2007. His «wine» was not about violence, but about words. He spoke openly about the suffering of a people who had been held captive for decades by occupation, oppression and systematic cruelty. These measures were taken by those same governments whose declarations of freedom of speech endlessly ring around the world.
While the Islamic Umma looked forward to hearing his voice again, the Zionist regime managed, through an airstrike, to defeat one of the most influential media figures in the Palestinian resistance.
The blow was significant, it was directed at the media apparatus «Al-Qassam», but did not break the will of the Mujahideen and did not change their course.
Yes, Abu Ubayda was martyred on 30 August 2025 in Al Rimal. At that moment, the «al-Qassam» Brigades chose silence. Months later, on December 29 of the same year, they officially confirmed his martyrdom, revealed his real name, Huzaifa Samir Abdullah al-Qahlut, and confirmed him as Kuniyya Abu Ibrahim.
The Zionist regime may have succeeded in drowning out Abu Ubayda’s voice after countless attempts. But, as he himself once stated, in this Ummah one commander is replaced by many, one soldier, ten, and one martyr, a thousand Mujahideen. This land continues to nurture its fighters and bear fruit, as persistent and durable as the olive trees deeply rooted in its soil.
