‘We Pledge to Continue the Path’: Full Speech by Newly Introduced Abu Obeida

By Palestine Chronicle Staff

The newly introduced military spokesman of the Al-Qassam Brigades delivered his first public address, announcing the killing of the former spokesman and outlining the movement’s position on the war, ceasefire, and regional developments.

The Al-Qassam Brigades’ newly introduced military spokesman delivered a lengthy address on Monday, during which he announced the killing of the previous spokesman, known publicly as Abu Obeida.

In the speech, broadcast by Al-Jazeera, the speaker announced the killing of the former military spokesman, also known as Abu Obeida, stating that he was killed in Israeli bombardments.

The following is the full, verbatim English translation published in full and without edits.

---

---

In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, the One Who honors His believing servants and humiliates the arrogant multitude and the criminal wrongdoers, even if after some time.

Praise be to God, Who says: “And remember when you were few and oppressed in the land, fearing that people might snatch you away, then He sheltered you, supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things so that you might give thanks.” And He, Exalted is He, also says: “Among the believers are men who were true to what they pledged to God. Some of them have fulfilled their vow, and some still await, and they have not changed in the least.” Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, the striving martyr, who strove for God as He deserves to be striven for, and was harmed in God’s cause yet remained patient, until victory and empowerment came to him from his Lord.

Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings. We greet you from the land of dignity and pride, the land of struggle, martyrdom, purity, and greatness. We take pride in our belonging to Gaza the proud, and in our great pride in its people—the great fighters, patient, steadfast, and seeking reward—heirs of the prophets and descendants of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. O noblest of people, O greatest of people, O God’s chosen among His servants in His chosen land, O truthful ones who remain steadfast and have not altered in the least: peace be upon you for your patience, and how excellent is the final home.

Peace be upon Gaza—its soil, its water, its sky, and its air. Peace be upon its men, its women, and its children. Peace be upon its resisters and its heroes. Peace be upon you for what you have endured of the pain of loss, captivity, wounds, and the suffering of displacement. Peace be upon you as you endure today the hardship of life and the cold of winter.

Peace be upon your worn tents, your cracked homes, and your exhausted bodies. Yet your spirits, your faith, your determination, and your certainty in God are stronger than anything imagined by all enemies and conspirators who take pleasure in your suffering and anticipate your downfall. They will never achieve that, God willing. You are glory itself and the opening chapter of a glorious history.

What pride and honor it is that the blood of fighters has mixed with the blood of their families, and that leaders and their families stood at the heart of the ranks of those who sacrificed everything they possessed. We are from you and you are from us. Together, with willing souls, we offered the most precious thing we have, in response to the call of our Lord and in hope of what is with Him. We are certain that God will not deprive us of the reward for our deeds and that this pure blood will not be lost with Him. Place your trust in your Lord. The cycle will turn against the wrongdoers, even if after some time. Do not think that God is unaware of what the wrongdoers do.

O sons and daughters of our people wherever they are—in Gaza, Jerusalem, the West Bank, the occupied interior, and the diaspora; O sons and daughters of our great and far-reaching nation; and O all free people of the world: today we bring you, with pride and honor, the news of a great group of our people and heroic fighters who fulfilled their vow after the occupation violated the truce and resumed its criminal war last March, joining a long caravan of righteous martyrs. We mention in particular a group of the distinguished leaders of the Qassam Brigades who were killed in the battlefield and in command-and-control rooms, at their posts, carrying out their duties without fatigue or weariness.

We mourn the great commander, the fighter and martyr Muhammad Sinwar, Abu Ibrahim, Chief of Staff of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, a worthy successor to a worthy predecessor. He possessed an exceptional strategic mind and led the Qassam Brigades during an extremely difficult phase, succeeding the great martyr of the nation, Abu Khaled al-Deif, after having served as commander of the Operations Branch during the Al-Aqsa Flood. He made a major contribution and played a prominent role in planning and executing the October 7 operation and in supervising the details of the defensive plan and confronting the occupation’s brutal aggression against Gaza. This was a path our great commander began decades ago, marked by major milestones, from “Sacred Revenge” to “The Shattered Illusion,” and from leading the Khan Younis Brigade to holding a number of senior leadership positions within the Qassam Brigades, until his journey was sealed with martyrdom on the frontlines of honor and dignity.

We also mourn the great commander Muhammad Shabana, Abu Anas, commander of the Rafah Brigade in the Qassam Brigades, who was killed alongside Commander Abu Ibrahim Sinwar and a group of fellow commanders and fighters. Abu Anas was a close companion of the two great commanders Abu Shmala and al-Attar and an outstanding leader who contributed in various roles, from media work to logistics and supply. He was a hero known in southern Gaza for his specialized operations, from “The Shattered Illusion,” to “The Warning of Explosion,” to the capture of Hadar Goldin, and culminating in the remarkable achievements carried out by the fighters of Rafah during the Al-Aqsa Flood.

We also mourn the great commander Hikmat al-Issa, Abu Omar, the steadfast migrant fighter and a devout, humble leader, modest among his brothers yet firm and daring in the arenas of confrontation. He traveled across many lands carrying the trust of struggle for Palestine and was known in Lebanon, Syria, and other countries before settling in Gaza the proud. There, he continued the path of resistance and transferred his experience to his fellow fighters in Palestine. He served in several leadership positions, most notably in training, the military academies and colleges, and finally the Combat Weapons Branch.

We also mourn the great commander who recently joined this caravan, the martyred Sheikh Raed Saad, Abu Muadh, commander of the Manufacturing Branch of the Qassam Brigades and commander of its operational support units. He was a dignified, devout religious leader known in the arenas of struggle since the earliest days. He devoted himself day and night to giving and sacrifice. He once commanded the First Gaza Brigade, then moved through various leadership roles and multiple fronts of struggle, and concluded his journey by leading the military manufacturing system that produced Qassam weapons domestically and by Palestinian hands—from the bullet to the rifle, from the rocket to the explosive device and shell, and from the boat to the drone. These weapons played a decisive role in the October 7 breakthrough and in the defensive battle that followed.

As we stand before you today, we cannot but pause in reverence and respect for the one who previously held this position, who repeatedly addressed you with his powerful voice, truthful words, and long-awaited announcements. He was the masked figure loved by millions, whose appearances were eagerly awaited and who became a source of inspiration, with his red keffiyeh turning into an icon for free people across the world. We mourn the great commander and martyr, the spokesman of the Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida—the resounding voice of the nation, the man of word and stance, the pulse of Palestine, its Jerusalem, its people, and its resistance, and the head of Qassam’s media apparatus. He left a deep impact on the hearts of the nation. This figure never abandoned his people in their darkest moments. He addressed them from the heart of the battlefield, bringing reassurance, strengthening their resolve, consoling them, and standing beside them despite grave danger and repeated targeting. Even the enemy’s public awaited his appearances as much as our own people did, to hear from him the decisive word and the certain news.

Today, we announce him to our nation and our people by his real name and title. We mourn the great commander, Hudhaifa Samir Abdullah al-Kahlout, Abu Ibrahim, who passed after two decades of angering the enemies and bringing comfort to the hearts of believers. He met God in the best of states. What greater sign of sincerity toward God is there than that God elevates a person’s mention among all people and grants him acceptance on earth? He departed after leading the Qassam media system with great competence and after he and his brothers recorded an honorable performance witnessed by both friend and foe, conveying to the world the course of the Al-Aqsa Flood in its fullest form and the heroism of Gaza’s fighters that astonished the world and enraged the enemies. Commander Hudhaifa al-Kahlout has departed, and we have inherited from him his title, Abu Obeida. Peace be upon you among the immortal. We pledge to continue the path.

The blood of our people, our fighters, and our leaders that was shed on the soil of Gaza in the noblest of battles stands as proof against all and as a call for the nation to rise, shake off complacency, and mobilize in support of Palestine and Al-Aqsa, for which Gaza offered the most precious it possesses, fulfilling its duty before God and continuing to do so. Its sons will not let the banner fall until victory over the enemy or martyrdom in the path of God, in defense of the most just cause known in modern history.

(Abu Obeida’s speech was translated and transcribed by the Palestine Chronicle)