Gaza

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Abu Ubaida, Hamas' masked spokesperson, reportedly injured in an attack by the IDF, returned to Palestinian and Israeli television screens with a chilling warning for Israel and the United States. On Sunday, Hamas' armed wing said Israel will not be able to recover any of its hostages unless it engages in talks over conditional swap deals. 

Abu Ubaida, the voice for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, warned Israel would not be able to recover the hostages by force, mentioning their failed operation to free one of them.

Udaida also mentioned that Hamas fighters had partially or fully destroyed 180 Israeli personnel carriers, tanks and bulldozers in 10 days since the war resumed in Gaza.

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Abu Ubaida has been appearing on screens since October 7, after Mohammad Al-Deif, the commander of Al-Qassam, announced the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, one of the largest military confrontations in history between Israel and Palestinian movements.

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During his interventions, he wears the green camouflage soldier's uniform, covering his face with a red keffiyeh. He never reveals his face, following the example of Al-Qassam's former leader, Imad Aqel, who died in an IDF attack in 1993.

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Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, Abu Ubaida has appeared before or after every significant decision, presented the position of Al-Qassam and talked about developments in the war. His statements generally come every few days via recorded speech.

Abu Ubaida first made headlines in 2002 as one of Al-Qassam's field officials. After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Al-Qassam officially appointed Abu Ubaidah as their spokesperson.

Ubaida hails from Naalia, a town in Gaza occupied by Israel in 1948. According to some sources, he now lives in Jabalia, northeast of Gaza. Israel bombed his house several times in 2008, 2012, 2014, and in the current battle. In 2014, he kidnapped Israeli soldier Shaul Aron. 

Previously, Ubaida had Twitter (currently X) and Facebook accounts until they were closed. Now, he publishes his messages on the official website of Al-Qassam and uses the Telegram app and Al-Aqsa's channel affiliated with Hamas to broadcast his videos. 

Before the 2014 war, Abu Ubaida presented a master's thesis at the Islamic University from the Faculty of Fundamentals of Religion named "The Holy Land between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam."

Israeli Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claims to know his true identity. He said Ubaida was a masked person named Hudhayfah Kahlout.

(With inputs from agencies)