Over a month has passed since the last time Abu Obaydah, Hamas' spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the terror group's military arm, appeared in public.
Abu Obaydah is considered very popular among the Gazan population which supports Hamas, yet he has not said anything over the past month, despite the various dramatic events which occurred during that time.
Among the events Abu Obaydah failed to respond to was the elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and the elimination of Hezbollah's second-in-command Fuad Shukr in Lebanon.
In addition, although Abu Obaydah made statements on the 100th and 200th days of the war between Hamas and Israel, on the 300th day of the war, he made no statement.
In Gaza, there are those who say that Abu Obaydah may have been eliminated, but this report has not been proven or officially confirmed.
In late October 2023, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari revealed the identity of Hamas' masked spokesman, publishing a photo of him. Hamas denied Hagari's statement, claiming that the photo provided was not a likeness of Abu Obaydah.
In December 2023, questions arose regarding Abu Obaydah's welfare, after he disappeared for several weeks. He later reappeared in February 2024.