Watan-Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades—the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)—announced the death of the Chief of Staff of the al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif.
In a recorded statement, Abu Ubaida said, “We present to our great people the martyrdom of the Chief of Staff of the al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif.”
He also declared the “martyrdom of a group of senior mujahideen from the Qassam Military Council.”
Abu Ubaida specified that the martyrs include:
- Chief of Staff of al-Qassam, Mohammed Deif
- Several senior leaders, most notably:
- Marwan Issa, Deputy Chief of Staff of al-Qassam
- Ghazi Abu Tama’a, Head of Weapons and Combat Services
- Raed Thabet, Head of Manpower Division
- Rafi Salama, Commander of the Khan Younis Brigade
He also pointed out that the martyrdom of Ahmed al-Ghandour, Commander of the Northern Brigade, and Ayman Nofal, Commander of the Central Governorate Brigade, had been previously announced during the war.
Abu Ubaida emphasized that “the martyrdom of our great leaders—despite the immense loss we feel at their departure—has not and will not weaken our brigades or our resistance.”
He added that “following the martyrdom of each of them throughout this war, our fighters’ determination has only grown stronger, by the grace of God. The battles have become fiercer and more intense, the mujahideen have fought with even greater bravery, inflicted more damage on the enemy, and their motivation to fight has reached unprecedented levels witnessed by the whole world. They remain steadfast in their commitment and oath.”
Abu Ubaida affirmed that “a leader is succeeded by many leaders, and a martyr is replaced by a thousand martyrs,” stressing that “the Qassam system has not experienced a leadership vacuum—not even for an hour—throughout the Al-Aqsa Flood battle.”
The spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades did not specify exactly when Deif and the six other leaders were killed. He stated that this announcement was made “after completing all necessary procedures, addressing all security concerns imposed by the conditions of the battle and the field, and after conducting the required verifications and taking all relevant measures.”
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