US Targets Hamas Spokesperson Abu Ubaida: Unraveling the Disquieting Persona of Al-Qassam Brigades
Watan-The United States has taken a new step towards the spokesperson of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, Abu Ubaida, through a move targeting his real identity, as reported by Western media outlets.
A statement from the US Treasury Department stated that the spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, and other leaders of the Palestinian resistance have been subjected to Western sanctions from Washington and the European Union, despite being originally classified as “terrorist-listed.” This move was described by activists as contradictory to Western policies and indicative of anxiety about the personality of the Qassam Brigades, which has become a source of concern for the United States.
The real personality of Abu Ubaida
The US Treasury Department claimed that the real identity of the Qassam spokesperson targeted by sanctions is “Hudhayfah Samir Abdullah Al-Khalout,” known as “Abu Ubaida,” who has been the spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades since 2007.
The statement added a series of contradictions and lies, according to activists, including that Abu Ubaida “publicly threatened to execute Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian resistance following the October 7, 2023, attack.”
It also claimed that the spokesperson leads what is called the “cyber impact of the Qassam Brigades” through servers and domains purchased in Iran to host the official website of the Palestinian Brigades.
Other figures in the Qassam Brigades
The US Treasury statement mentioned among those subjected to sanctions: “William Abu Shanab,” the commander of the Northern Unit based in Lebanon, “Baraa Hassan Farhat,” Abu Shanab’s assistant, and “Khalil Muhammad Azam,” an intelligence official.
The statement added that the European Union imposed sanctions on “the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad,” alleging the commission of sexual violence despite denials and refutations from American media outlets, notably CNN.
Despite the scarcity of personal information about the spokesperson targeted by the United States, statistics from the Google search engine indicate that there are more than 10 million search results for his name, and there are thousands of videos of him on YouTube.
Who is Abu Ubaida?
Some have spoken of Abu Ubaida’s name as a nickname for him, given his influence being compared to the companion Abu Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah, who was one of the first targets of Israeli assassination due to his significant media and psychological influence on public opinion.
Abu Ubaida is known for his significant psychological impact on Palestinian resistance forces to boost their morale, as well as his terrifying effect on Israeli occupation soldiers.
The Israeli public trusts the accuracy of his statements, according to statements from Israeli military correspondent Gili Cohen during the Battle of Sword of Jerusalem in 2021.
It is worth mentioning that Abu Ubaida first appeared in 2006 when he announced the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by the Qassam Brigades, while Israel has been unable to ascertain his identity or appearance to this day.
