Hamas commander has resurfaced, casting doubt on earlier Israeli assertions of his death
A recent video featuring a senior commander from the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has contradicted earlier claims by the Israeli military, which stated the commander had been killed in the northern Gaza Strip last May.
The Palestinian news outlet Arab48 published video footage on Wednesday featuring Hussein Fayyad at a funeral in northern Gaza. In the video, Fayyad is seen addressing a crowd gathered amidst the rubble of a building damaged by bombing.
The video, which gained significant traction on social media platforms, featured Fayyad commending Gaza’s defense efforts against the prolonged aggression of the Israeli regime, while describing the offensive as ineffective.
A Hamas commander has asserted that, “When the powerful fail to meet their objectives, they are defeated, while the less powerful who thwart those efforts emerge as victors.” He further stated that Gaza has proven to be resilient, remarking on recent events by saying, “We all witnessed yesterday how Gaza stood tall in triumph.”
In May of the previous year, the Israeli Defense Forces announced that they had successfully carried out an operation resulting in the elimination of Fayyad, who was identified as the commander of the Beit Hanoun Brigade of the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing. The operation reportedly took place in an underground tunnel in Jabaliya, located north of Gaza City.
In light of the footage made public on Wednesday, the Israeli military has conceded that its previous assertion of having eliminated a Hamas commander was founded on inaccurate intelligence.
Fayyad’s recent reemergence has once again cast doubt on Israel’s assertions regarding battlefield outcomes in Gaza, as the Israeli government has previously made inaccurate claims regarding the deaths of prominent Palestinian individuals.
Israel has reached a ceasefire agreement with Hamas as of Sunday, concluding over 15 months of intense conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has been under blockade.
Israel’s military operations on the enclosed territory, commencing on October 7, 2023, have resulted in the deaths of over 47,000 Palestinians and have left nearly 112,000 injured.
The death toll is on the rise as families make their way back to the remnants of their homes after the ceasefire, sifting through debris in hopes of finding the remains of loved ones. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, approximately 10,000 bodies remain missing beneath the ruins.
