By Taghreed Saadeh
In an unprecedented statement today, the leadership of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced its readiness to confront the Israeli occupation army in the city of Gaza, vowing a “force of suicide operatives and thousands of ambushes and explosive devices.”
This move represents a precedent in the Brigades’ style of communications, statements were normally issued by Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson of the al-Qassam Brigades over many past years.
This precedent is not merely a cosmetic change; it constitutes an indirect confirmation of the assassination of Abu Ubaida and a severe morale blow to Hamas, which has lost one of its most prominent commanders in the midst of the war. With this declaration, al-Qassam seeks to project resilience and a capacity to retaliate, but the reality on the ground in Gaza tells a very different, tragic story.
On 31 August 2025, the Israeli authorities officially announced the killing of Abu Ubaida in an airstrike that targeted him in northern Gaza. Israel’s defense minister, Yisrael Katz, wrote on X that the operation had succeeded, claiming that Abu Ubaida played an important role in Hamas’s propaganda apparatus. Hamas has categorically denied this.
Civilians in Gaza, who bear the heaviest burden, are not in a position to confront the Israeli military might, and the al-Qassam Brigades do not possess the means to thwart Netanyahu’s plans for large-scale destruction and forced displacement. The ongoing siege and relentless bombardment have pushed the city to the brink of collapse; essential infrastructure is being destroyed daily, and the population is paying a catastrophic price that military rhetoric cannot mitigate.
Despite its announced military readiness, the statement exposes the gap between military posturing and the real conditions on the ground. It expresses al-Qassam’s will to defend Gaza, but it also confirms the movement’s limited ability to protect civilians or to prevent the continuation of plans for destruction and displacement.
The decision now represents a historic responsibility for the movement’s leaders abroad, either cooperate with the Arab League to preserve what remains of Gaza, or risk losing everything including the future of the Palestinian cause and thereby witness the end of both Hamas and the Gaza Strip.
Does the entire Gaza Strip not deserve courage, dedication, and selflessness? You are sacrificing the Strip in the hope of political survival, yet the Palestinian people and history will not be merecy with you.
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