Watan-Social media users have circulated a picture of the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, “Abu Ubaida,” strolling in the Gaza Strip. The widely shared image shows the masked man surrounded by a group of people who appear to be celebrating him and taking pictures with him.
This comes amid the Israeli bombardment and intense street warfare in the region since the Al-Aqsa Tempest operation launched by Hamas against Israel last October. Abu Ubaida has become a symbol and an icon among the icons of Palestinian resistance.
However, through investigation and research, it has been revealed that the circulated picture is old and not recent.
ظهور القائد #ابو_عبيدة فى محور صلاح الدين قرب خان يونس بالأمس، وإلتفاف السكان حوله رغم القصف والدمار والخراب والحصار والتجويع والتعطيش..💚
الحياة عقيدة وجهاد pic.twitter.com/qGEq2VK2ex
— mazen007 التطبيع_خيانة# (@mazen00711) December 26, 2023
The reality of Abu Ubaida’s appearance near Khan Yunis
The verification unit of the “France Press” agency pointed out, through searches on search engines, that the photo was posted at least in 2014. This refutes claims that it is a recent picture taken during the current events and ongoing war.
Accompanying comments stated, “The appearance of Commander Abu Ubaida near Khan Yunis, with people gathering around him despite the bombing, destruction, siege, and hunger.”
The agency, through its “Fact-Checking Service in Arabic,” stated that this claim is not true, and the picture has been posted since at least 2014.
Taken in the city of Rafah
The photo was published at that time, specifically on November 14, 2014, on the “Palestinian Media Center” account on the AX website.
The accompanying comment on the photo at that time stated, “The spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the martyr Aziz al-Din, Abu Ubaida, greets the crowds at a festival in Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border.”
#صورة |الناطق بإسم كتائب الشهيد عز الدين #القسام ابو عبيدة بحيي الجماهير في #مهرجان_رفح pic.twitter.com/W6zctYpduB
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) November 14, 2014
Two days ago, Abu Ubaida revealed that the Palestinian resistance had managed to destroy 825 Israeli vehicles since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip.
In his latest appearance through a recorded voice message, he stated that after 83 days of the Israeli aggression, the resistance in the field continues to confront the occupation soldiers. He added that the Al-Qassam Brigades have shared many photos documenting the targeting of their fighters against Israeli occupation soldiers and their vehicles, saying, “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”